Leaving
by The Carrot
Summary: Drabble Series from livejounral. 'He has to leave, even if it's the last thing he wants to do.'
1. Leaving

Just a drabble series I did for the 'flashpoint_sru' community on Livejournal. If you're ever over that way you should check it out.

**(Also, sorry if it's a bit hard to follow I did these super late at night. )**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Flashpoint, but my birthday is coming up soon, and here's hoping I get a certain blonde sexy sniper for a present. **

* * *

**Family: **

He liked being in the SRU.

He'd go so far to say he truly enjoyed it.

He had made friends. Made a home for himself here.

But not now.

Now, it was all being torn apart.

He had left for a reason.

He didn't want to go back.

And now, he didn't have a choice.

His real 'family' was making him leave the one he loved.

Holleran looked over the blonde in front of him, the stiff shoulders and cold blue eyes. "Sam-"

The sniper looked up into the commanders face shaking his head. "Took more time then I thought..."

* * *

**Words (target): **

'_The orders cannot be revoked, Samuel…You know the consequences if you don't follow them.'_

Sam's grip on the darts in his hand tightened. Ed had agreed to take them all out for drinks after the successful negation of a suicidal teen and everyone had jumped at the idea. He, however, just wanted to go home. The brief phone call he had with his father about the paper Holleran had delivered to him that morning had not gone quiet as planned.

Angry, hateful words had run through his brain, and much to his disappointment, had been unable to make it past his lips.

_Thud, thud, thud._

The rest of the team sat lost for words, as all of Sam's darts hit dead centre of the board. Cocking his head to one side the blonde looked at the scores. Whoops… he had actually meant to let Jules win. Oh well, that's what he got for losing his concentration.

Downing what was left of his glass of tequila, Sam strode forwards reclaiming his darts before coming back to the table. Stabbing each of the metal needles into the wooden table the sniper grabbed his jacket, ignoring the looks. "I'm out, see you tomorrow."

* * *

**Secret: **

It was cleaning out his locker without the others noticing; that was going to be the tricky part. But he was good at being quiet.

He tapped his chin thoughtfully as he stared out the window overlooking the city.

He had given up trying to find a way around the orders.

And he had tried.

With no luck.

But it was his business. Not his teams. They didn't need to know.

They wouldn't know.

He'd have to do it at night after they had left.

And he'd have to do it soon.

He was running out of time in Toronto.

* * *

**Outfit: **

He was staring at his reflection in the mirror.

Blue eyes looked over the gray uniform as if trying to commit it to memory.

He doubted he'd ever get the chance to wear it again.

Sam liked gray; mostly because it wasn't beige. Shutting his eyes with a sigh, the blonde didn't hear the door to the locker room open, and he didn't hear Leah calling him.

If he had, he probably wouldn't have been halfway through removing his shirt as she stepped further into the room. And she wouldn't have seen the dog tags hanging around his neck either.

* * *

**Revelation: **

She hadn't really asked him, so much as dragged him out by the collar of his jacket to the closest diner they could find. Leah wasn't stupid; she knew what those dog tags could mean.

The new rookie slid into the booth of the restaurant leaving Sam to stand by the table.

"You're not going to let this go are you?" he asked looking down at her with his arms crossed.

"I could always ask Jules why you're wearing them." Brown eyes smirked up at blue.

It was a low blow and Sam found himself quickly sitting down across from the woman.

'So Jules doesn't know,' Leah thought to herself as she watched Sams' hesitant manner. "Tell me?"

The sniper let his gaze travel over his team mate before he sighed. "It's a long story."

"Shorten it."

Sam glared at her. She wasn't going to let this go. Okay, she wanted short…

"I'm leaving."

Leah hadn't been expecting something that short; and the lack of anger in his words surprised her. He had just sounded defeated. "Why?"

"Because I have to." He sighed rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I have orders, and I have to follow them."

"You're not in the military anymore." She countered.

Sam shook his head. "The day I joined the JTF, I sold my soul to a higher power. And now… now I can't say no."

Leah grimaced. "What happens if you do?"

The blonde took a drink of the coffee the waitress had just set down in front of them. "I get arrested." He saw the woman's eyes go wide.

Silence encompassed the two for a moment before Leah spoke again. "When do you go?"

"Tomorrow night."

"I'm sorry."

"Just don't say anything to the others and you'll have no reason to be sorry."

* * *

**Tonight: **

Well, it was time.

His last night here. No more hot calls. No more negotiating.

The wretched feeling that had settled over him earlier that day, hadn't gone away.

His nerves were killing him.

It was now or never, he had to tell them.

Shutting the door to his empty locker, Sam slung his bag over his shoulder and headed to the briefing room where Greg was sitting, writing out a report.

The older man looked up with a smile. "Sam, you're still here?"

"Yeah…" Sam smiled a bit. "C-could I talk to you for a second?"

Time to leave.

* * *

**Boss: **

The two men stood on the roof of the SRU building. It was one of the colder spring nights that had hit Toronto and the dampness seemed to settle into their bones. Looking out over the city he had come to love and protect, Sam inhaled deeply. He would tell him exactly how he told Leah. Short and Sweet. Only when he opened his mouth the words that came out were a bit different then the ones he intended.

"Thank you."

Greg looked over at the blonde man beside him with a frown. "What for?"

"Everything." He replied turning around to lean his back against the brick rail. "Everything you taught me, putting up with me, all that." Sam clasped his hands together putting them between his knees. "And because… you were the best boss I ever had."

'Had?' The sergeant's frown deepened as he turned bodily towards the younger man. "Sam-"

"I'm leaving,"

There… that had been what he had told Leah. And Greg certainly wasn't wearing the confused-what-in-the-world-are-you-talking-about-look the woman had worn either. No. His was more of the confused, kicked-in-the-stomach-look.

"Tonight. Holleran has my resignation letter; he's setting up interviews for a new recruit sometime next week-"

"Why?"

Sam looked up as Greg cut him off and with a resigned sort of smile he pushed himself off of the wall. "Because I don't get to make the rules; I just get to follow them." The sniper held out a hand to his boss. "My plane leaves in a little while, but I just wanted to thank you, in person."

Numbly Greg reached out taking the outstretched hand in his. Sam was leaving…because he had to? It didn't make sense, and as the blondes hand fell away Greg watched the young man walk away for the last time.

* * *

**Decision: **

She debated wither to tell Jules the truth; thought about it left and right, up and down for maybe all of two minutes. There was no question about it. Leah had to tell her. Sam only had a few hours left before he flew out and Leah wanted them to have enough time to say good-bye. And that was why she was standing outside the brunette's house so late at night.

So when Jules finally opened her door the rookie didn't think twice about barging past her, grabbing the other woman's jacket and tossing it to her. "Come on."

"Uh, Leah?" Jules blinked the sleep out of her eyes to follow after her friend who was heading towards her room. "What are you doing?"

"We have to hurry and get to the airport." The ex-firefighter muttered throwing a random pair of jeans from the floor at her. When the brunette opened her mouth to object Leah just held up a hand and continued. "Sam's leaving in about-" She glanced down at her watch, "two hours, and-"

"Whoa, Wait!" Jules froze, jeans halfway up her legs as she stared at her team mate. "Sam's doing what? Where's he going?" her heart defiantly hadn't just leapt into her throat.

Leah gave her a sympathetic look. "He's being shipped out to Afghanistan, Jules."

It took the female sniper about two seconds to have the rest of her clothes on before she was running out of her house, Leah behind her and Jules was sure that if it wasn't for the fact she could feel her it beating frantically against her chest, her heart had just shattered into a hundred small pieces. She was running on instinct now, anger and confusion clouded the logical idea of calling him. No, she had to see him.

* * *

**Seeking: **

The airport was packed. Full of families saying goodbye to their loved ones.

Full of men and women in beige uniforms.

A uniform Sam had no more business wearing.

Panting heavily, Jules whipped her head around looking for the familiar mop of blonde hair that would always stick up in every direction. But she couldn't find him. Elbowing a particularly large woman out of her way Jules strode forward, brown eyes going from one face to the next.

Suddenly the female sniper froze. There he was; standing next to a white haired man just a few feet from her.

"SAM!"

* * *

**Tears: **

It was a safe bet that after four years in the JTF-2 and almost two in the SRU not a lot could surprise him anymore. But, as the voice of the woman he loved shouted his name behind him, Sam whipped around in shock just as Jules swung a fist towards his cheek.

Catching it easily Sam stared at the brunette wide eyed. What shocked him wasn't the fact that she was there; he had fully expected Leah to tell her. What he didn't expect to see was the tears brimming in the corner of her eye. "Jules?" he started but a swift kick to his shin had him moving away from the female sniper. "Ow, Jules! What the hell?"

The white haired man he had been talking to was doubled over laughing behind him, and several others had turned to see the source of his amusement.

Jules glared down at Sam, anger flowing freely through her veins. It was one of the quirks about her. She didn't handle emotions well…or at all, except anger. She liked that one. "So, you were going to just walk away hm?" she snapped as Sam got back to feet. "Without as much as a goodbye? Did we mean so little to you that you thought this would be okay?!"

"Jules-"

"You let me finish!" she snapped and out of the corner of her eye she saw Leah come to stand at the edge of the crowd surrounding them. "You were family to us Sam, we cared about you- I cared about you! And the next thing we know, you're hopping a plane the first chance you can get to go back to-"

Sam reached forward clamping a hand over the brunettes mouth, his eyes flashing as dangerously as hers. "Stop, Jules…" his voice dropped to a mere whisper. "I love you, and I love the SRU, so trust me when I say I'm not doing this because I want to." He dropped his hand altogether, grateful when the brunette didn't try and hit him again. Steeling what was left of his nerves he leant forward pressing a swift kiss to her lips.

And like that he was gone, taking all her anger away with him as he grabbed his bag and disappeared onto the plane. Leah stepped up beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Wow, that's harsh."

Both of the woman looked at the white haired man who was staring after Sam. "What?"

Gray eyes looked over the brunette. "You, those were some pretty hard words girl, especially to him."

Jules glared at the strange man who felt compelled to judge her. "Well, he deserves them. Running away like that the coward."

"He didn't have much of a choice."

Whipping around at the sound of Greg's voice, Jules jumped seeing the rest of Team one, looking like they had just crawled out of bed, behind her. "Sarge?"

"I just finished speaking with Holleran." The lead negotiator muttered. "Sam didn't have a choice wither he wanted to stay or go. The military was making him go on this mission, if he didn't…They would have arrested him for treason."

Jules looked back to the man she had come to love as a father. "Is that true?"

Greg nodded solemnly. "It is." He stated watching the woman's face lose colour. The bald man looked over at the Sam's friend with a smile. "Hey, when you see Sam, tell him his spot will be waiting for him when he gets back, alright?"

The man shrugged. "If we make it back alive he'll know."

* * *

: ) Thanks for reading.


	2. Returning

XD So, not to sure about this part, but I wrote it out like this anyway.

This part's not based on a prompt from LJ, so it's a tad bit longer then the others.

Muahahaha, He'ssssss backkk!!!

* * *

Brown eyes swept over the airport for the second time in eight months, keeping an eye out for a familiar head of blonde hair. And more importantly, the man attached to it. Jules heart beat frantically in her chest as men and woman made their way off the plane and into the arms of their families.

Where was he?

A few moments later, a familiar white haired man came around the corner and he paused just outside of the walk leading to the plane; his gray eyes looking over the sea of people. It was the same man that had been talking to Sam when he had left, she realized and Jules frowned when she saw him notice her. The brunette watched confused as he started towards her and as quickly as her heart had been beating it had managed to stop. Dread welled up in Jules veins as he came to stand in front of her, his expression serious.

"Constable Julianna Callaghan?"

She nodded numbly, her brain already fearing the worst from his tone.

"My name is Robert Ryans," The white haired man sighed heavily shaking his head. "I'm sorry… but I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Jules felt like she was going to be sick. No, no… she still had to apologise, she still had to say she was sorry for what she said when he was leaving... she had to tell him she still lov- No! Sam couldn't have left her. Jules couldn't believe it.

Suddenly the voice, that for a moment, she thought she'd never hear again, interrupted her morbid train of thoughts with a shout.

"I swear to god, I'm fine! Stop touching it-Miro! Would you please- look just let me get off this plane at least-"

The female sniper whipped around just as Sam stepped out from around the same corner Ryans had, an annoyed expression on his face which was undoubtedly caused by the concerned looking med-tech following him. But he stopped when his blue eyes met brown and Sam's annoyed look fell away, quickly being replaced by a smile that made Jules knees weak.

"Yeah," Rob turned to look at the blonde over his shoulder a shit eating grin on his face. "We tried and tried to lose him but the bastard is like a Timex; takes a beating and keeps on living. Guess you're stuck with him after all, Sorry."

But Jules was far from the point where she was listening to him because as soon as she saw him, her feet had started moving on their own towards the blonde. And Jules did the most un-Jules-like thing she had in the past eight months. The brunette leapt into his arms, her legs going around his waist before she tilted her head catching Sam's lips and kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

Sam's arm shot out around her waist in surprise to keep her from falling back to the ground. He smiled into the kiss, this almost made the past eight months worth it. The only thing that could have made the moment better was if his left shoulder would stop throbbing and the med tech behind him would stop glaring at him. When he broke apart Sam looked up at Jules a cheeky grin on his face. "Hello."

"Hi." She greeted, glad the others hadn't been able to get off of work so they wouldn't see her acting like a love sick teenager. "Missed you."

Blue eyes sparkled. "I missed you too." The sniper was just about to press his lips back to Jules when a hand came out and smacked him on the side of the head.

The med tech was glaring at him again his hands on his hips. "Would you put her down before you rip your stitches!" He growled.

Reluctantly Sam sighed, putting a confused Jules back on the ground. "Kill the romance why don't you." He sniped back his arms still wrapped around the woman's waist.

Jules frowned. "What stitches?" When the man in front of her didn't reply and kept his eyes from meeting hers, she reached out smacking his shoulder playfully like she used to. But she wasn't quiet prepared for the loud hissing sound Sam let out and the pain filled look that crossed his face.

Beside her Rob snorted, laughing loudly. "Oh, man I like this girl." The white haired man chuckled swinging his bag over his shoulder as he turned to walk away. "She's defiantly a keeper Sparky."

"Screw you, ya bastard." Sam snapped after him his voice still strained. When he glanced back to Jules, the female sniper had undone the top set of buttons on his jacket and was pulling the clothing off of his shoulder. Silently he cursed the anaesthetic running through his arm, keeping him from feeling anything around the wound.

The brunette's eyes narrowed as she looked over the red brunt skin under her fingers and the white bandage wrapped around a good majority of his arm. Her brown eyes were fiery as they looked up at Sam's sheepish smile. "What happened?"

"Nothing-"

"He got hurt saving people."

Jules turned to see two men, a tall well muscled brunette and a short stocky black haired man. It was the brunette that had spoken as he smiled at her. Both of them supported a cast on one, if not two, limbs and had several dozen cuts and bruises on their arms and faces.

"Oh he did, did he?" She looked back up at Sam who was trying in vain to do up his jacket once more with one hand. The two men exchanged knowing looks as Jules reached out and did them up for him.

"So, is this the infamous 'Jules' we heard so much about, eh Braddock?" The black haired man chuckled as he looked over the two.

Sam glared at him taking Jules hand in his. "She's mine, you can't have her." He muttered turning on his heel and dragging the woman towards the exit.

The med tech shook his head and called after him. "Don't forget to-"

But Sam was already past the security checkpoint and didn't even hear him.

"So that was Jules eh?" The brunette laughed looking between his friend and the doctor. "I can see why he never shut up about her."

Miro, the med tech nodded. "They're quiet something; the pair of them." He paused thoughtfully before turning on the two wounded soldiers. "What are you doing standing? You're supposed to be on your way to the hospital."

The two men laughed. "Can't blame us for wanting to meet his sexy sniper chick."

"Get going."

XxX

"'She's mine, you can't have her?'" Jules quipped as she and Sam stepped out into the snowy parking lot.

Blue eyes sparkled as they looked over the woman beside him. "Those guys are idiots, figured if I said that, they might lay off." Sam chuckled. "Sorry."

Jules smirked as the two headed towards her Jeep. "My hero." As she slid into the driver's seat she saw him wince out of the corner of her eye when he got into the passenger side. "Speaking of being a hero, what exactly did you do?" She asked flicking the side of his injured arm.

He grinned sheepishly rubbing his sore shoulder, she'd freak if he told her the truth. "You know me, just lots of fun and exciting things."

The female sniper glared at the man in the other seat. "Sam." She growled as a cocky smirk made its way onto Sam's face.

"Relax, everything turned out fine."

Ever the optimist, Sam was. The glare turned into a smile and Jules shook her head. "It's good to have you back Sam."

"It's nice to finally be home."

* * *

Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments!


	3. Greetings

As previously stated, I decided to continue on with this for a bit longer, eventually I will tie it in with two more stories I have planned… and eventually I will write a one-shot that STAYS a one-shot.

Thank you for putting up with me for so long. I hope you enjoy. I don't own flashpoint… but what they don't know if my awesome league of ninjas is ready to go to war for it.

* * *

"General Sir, you asked to see me?"

Hard blue eyes glanced up from the file in his hands to the tall lanky Newfoundlander standing in his doorway. "Ah, Major Howlett," The general pointed to the seat in front of him. With a sharp nod the lower officer moved forward into the room but didn't sit. "I have a query. As I recall, my instructions at the beginning of this mission was to have your team infiltrate and take out this target." He held up a photo of a man in white robe, the image too blurry to make out any features.

Howlett nodded weakly. "Yes sir, those were your instructions; but we had Intel come in that supported the idea our targets had fled to the city. My men had been out there for eight months General I did the reasonable thing and called them back-"

"Major!" The older man snapped cutting him off, slapping the file folder onto his desk harshly. "We've had the order to take down Chiwa's main supplier for two years now. We finally get him trapped in a desert village, but because of the time frame and a small explosion you call your men back, _letting **him** just waltz right into Canada?!"_

The young Major bit his lip to keep from responding. If it was between the safety of his men and taking down a wanted fugitive, he would always save his men, no matter what the old bastard in front of him had to say. Without men who would follow you, you were worse then useless. "If I may speak General?"

"Make your words worth my time, if you don't, I'll be seeing you put back out in that desert Major Howlett."

"Sir, we placed our men at the base closest to Toronto, where we believe Hamir Cattan, Njeri Chiwa's main supplier to the black market, to be staying. They will be placed in and amongst the city also. We have eyes and ears everywhere; it'll be only a matter of time before we find them." Howlett explained, pain starting to creep up his spine from the tension in his stance. "We will find him."

The General seemed to mull over the idea in his mind before nodding. "Who do you have within the city so far?"

"As of our landing, Sergeant Robert Ryans, Master Corporal Kate Wagner, Master Corporal Jason Dollimont, and…" Howlett paused for a moment. "We enlisted the help of Sam Braddock, sir."

Old thin fingers tapped the desk in front of him, the actions thoughtful once more. "Very well then, let me know of any movement or changes as they arise. You're dismissed Major."

"Thank you General Braddock." And with a quick sharp salute Howlett left the dark office a sense of dread flowing through him.

xXx

Sam leaned on the top part of the desk grinning down at Kira before yawning. He had spent the night at Jules, sleeping a full two hours; but it was more then he had gotten in the past few weeks so he wasn't complaining. And the next morning Jules had treated him to one of her infamous protein mango smoothies before they stopped off at the hospital. Sam waited impatiently as Miro switched the bandages on his arm, almost bouncing out of the large depressing building when the Med Tech had finished. For the most part he had ignored Jules glares at the angry red skin on his arm. But her glare didn't last long as she saw the look on his face when she had pulled up in front of the large gray building he had missed so much.

"So instead of a hello, I get a yawn?" Kira joked looking up at him as she slid her headset onto her neck.

The blonde chuckled. "Sorry, it's been a pretty crazy week, what are you doing back here anyway?" Sam asked looking around the operator's desk as Jules had gone to change. "Last I looked Winnie was around and you were off training?"

Kira smiled. "I finished my training and Winnie went on vacation; I'm waiting for some paperwork to come through and thought I'd offer to take over for her while she's away." The officer explained.

Nodding in understanding Sam leaned a bit further over the desk. "So, what's the 411 on my replacement, what's he look like?"

Both sets of blue eyes twinkled in amusement as Kira motioned for him to come around the desk. "He's on his way in now; every day fifteen minutes early, right after Jules comes in, he's like clockwork." The sniper plopped down into the vacant chair and followed the woman's line of vision as she pointed to the door.

And just like she had said, a tall dark haired man came through the doorway.

"Bryce Sietl, 5'8", brown eyes, brown hair," Kira muttered as the new rookie walked towards the changing rooms, not even sparing a glance in their direction. "He was 'dishonourably discharged' from the army about a year ago and has a large chip on his shoulder about it to, so you may not want to bring up where you've been."

Sam grimaced getting to his feet, "Copy that."

"Well look what the cat dragged in." Another familiar female voice laughed behind them.

Turning on his heel, surprised blue eyes met Leah's warm brown and the sniper could only smile. "Hey Leah."

"It's good to see you Sam." The ex-firefighter raised an eyebrow as Sam rounded the desk to come stand beside her. That was when she noticed the slight limp in his step. "You get hurt?"

Sam shrugged holding his burnt arm up a bit. "They weren't kidding when they said all's fair in war."

Leah cocked her head to one side. "I thought that was in love and war."

"Nah, nothing's fair in love, and everything goes in war, apparently." He muttered falling into step next to her, waving goodbye to Kira as they left, "At least according to my arm, ribcage and a few of my friends anyways." The woman could only nod in agreement. "So where is everybody?"

"Ed and Greg are talking with Holleran right now, Wordy and Bryce are still changing I think. Spike's in the gym, and Jules just joined him."

A wicked smirk made its way onto the blonde face as he pulled the dark skinned woman next to him towards the gym.

XxX

The loud girlish scream that sounded throughout the entire SRU building caused most of its occupants to nearly jump out their skin.

Ed whipped around, Greg not a second behind him as the two men burst out of Holleran's office heading right towards where the shriek had come from. They froze outside of the gym, looking in at the laughing group in front of them.

Spike sat on the floor, eyes wide with his hand over his heart, Jules had climbed off her bike and was chuckling at the sight of Sam doubled over next to Leah, her hands on her hips.

"What happened in here?" Wordy asked as he and Bryce appeared on Ed's side drawn by the noise.

"H-he... came up behind me…" The Italian muttered pointing to the laughing blonde beside him.

The team leader crossed his arms looking down at the sniper playfully, secretly glad to see him alive and in one piece. "**_Sam_**, what have we said about scaring Spike?"

Out of the corner of his eye Sam saw his replacement raise an eyebrow when he straightened up. "It was worth it." He laughed unable to keep the grin off his face.

Spike shot to his feet with a huff, reaching out to smack his old team mate on the arm, totally unprepared for the loud hiss of pain Sam let out. The brown haired man blinked in confusion as Jules pushed past him to stand next to the blonde looking worried.

"Are you alright?" She muttered reaching out to keep his arm in her grasp. He nodded, pain still laced on his features.

Greg frowned looking between Sam and Jules. "What happened?"

"Nothing." Sam muttered straightening up just as Jules opened her mouth to speak. He shot her a warning look before glancing up at Spike. "You know that means I get a free shot." He laughed as the Italians face paled.

The rest of the team smirked to themselves each one of them moving forward to surround the blonde, bombarding him with questions. But before Ed could introduce Sam to his replacement a sharp commanding voice cut through their conversations.

"Braddock!"

Sam looked up at Holleran who was standing in the doorway a serious look on his face. "Yes sir?"

Team one watched as the Commander jerked his head towards his office. "With me a moment."

The blonde nodded sharply before following the older man to his office, a quick 'be back in a minute' given to his old team mates before he disappeared.

"He looks like crap." Spike, of course.

"Must've been eight months of hell for him to come back looking like that." Leah added; the tiredness in Sam's eyes hadn't been missed by anyone.

"So this is where the little shit ran off to, is it?"

Six pairs of eyes turned on their newest rookie. "Excuse me?" Jules brown eyes blazed in anger, her voice almost shrill.

"That's Sam Braddock." Bryce stated confused as to why the others weren't staying clear of him. "General Braddock's only son."

Greg looked the younger man over as he raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

Bryce frowned. "You don't know what he did, do you?" At the confused stares from his team mates the brown haired man shook his head an evil grin popping up on his face. "Didn't the little prick ever tell you why he left the army in the first place?"

Jules bristled at the mockery in his words. "Please explain." If he was talking about what she thought he was, then the tone he was using was going to get him into trouble. Around here, the past stayed in the past and people faults and mistakes were never used against them.

Ever.

* * *

Ha ha, it's shorter then normal, but I hope you enjoyed it. I hope Bryce gets his. Jerk.

Thank you for reading, more should be up promptly if you're interested… I kind of made it twisted in the beginning to have Howlett talking to Sam's dad… man you think you're going to hate Bryce… I plan on making General Badass ten times worse. Muahahahaha!


	4. Meetings

Well…. I did it… I finally did it… I UPDATED! DX I dies.

Disclaimer: I don't own Flashpoint, if I did…. Well… a lot of fangirls would be happy.

XxX

"So how was it?" Holleran asked as he took his seat behind his desk as Sam stood in front of him.

Blue eye glanced up at the Commander, giving him a flat look. "How do you think it was?" he muttered back reaching forward to tap on the Sidney Cosby bobble head sitting on the other mans desk. When the dark skinned man continued to stare at him Sam gave a heavy sigh, hitting the bobble head so hard it almost fell off the desk. "It was hot!"

Holleran clasped his hands together setting them under his chin as his eyes narrowed. "And that wasn't just in reference to the weather was it."

Following his line of sight Sam found himself looking down at the left arm of his jacket, the dark blue clothing hiding the clean white bandages on his skin. The blonde shrugged with his uninjured shoulder.

"I read the report," Blue eyes flashed in his direction and Holleran grimaced a little. "It was a rescue well done."

Sam snorted under his breath collapsing in the chair across from the Commander. "Well I wasn't leaving them to burn to death inside that Hummer, and it was stupid of Command to think I would've acted differently."

Holleran raised his hands in surrender, not wanting to start a confrontation. "I agree, but that's not why I called you in here to talk to you. I have the papers ready for you to sign, all you have to do is pass the fitness test again and you can get back on the team." The dark skinned man tossed the packet of papers to the sniper.

The blonde could almost feel his heart sink to the pit of his stomach when he caught the papers. "About that."

XxX

Rubbing the bridge of his nose Sam paused as he went to go around the corner into the weight room. The sound of a haughty sneering tone made him drop his hand and look up to see Bryce with his back facing him as his replacement went on speaking, unaware that the topic of his conversation standing directly behind him.

He stood there, leaning against the wall, listening as the brown haired man told the rest of Team One about his incident in Kandahar. Vaguely Sam wondered how Bryce would have had access to that information, he was pretty sure his father had swept it under the proverbial rug when he left. But the look of contempt that had started to form behind Ed's eyes was enough to make the blonde step out from his hiding place. For Bryce's sake.

"-Then he goes and kills what's his name, that Sergeant who was supposed to be his best friend and-"

"His name was Matt," the entire group looked up to the doorway to see Sam standing there looking less then amused. "If you're going to tell the story you might as well get his name right."

Bryce gave the blonde a chagrin look, clearly not having meant to be caught. "I-"

However Sam cut him off quickly, "They already knew," he stated turning his gaze to Jules. "I just popped in to say I was heading out."

"Oh, are you going back to my place?" Jules asked starting to reach into her pocket to pass him her keys but the sniper shook his head.

"Nah, I've got some work left to do in the city," he replied and unable to help himself, Sam smirked as he leaned forward kissing her cheek and moving away quickly as she took a playful swat at him. "Rob's coming to pick me up in a few, but I'll be seeing you guys later?" Blue eyes looked at Greg over his shoulder and to Spike who was nodding enthusiastically beside the older man.

"Eight o'clock, Scully's." The Italian stated.

"Sounds good." Sam laughed as Jules walked with him to the elevator.

Bryce stared at the group in confusion; they were still friends with the sniper? Even after they had recounted the horror Sam had done. Inside his stomach clenched in anger, his attempts to get the other SRU officers to see his line of reasoning had failed; he knew he was much better then any Braddock, He could do so much more for the SRU. A familiar hand rested on his shoulder and the brown haired man turned to face the team leader who was standing behind him.

Ed's blue eyes were clearly not impressed and the older man looked over the newest member on his team. "If you were trying to secure a place on Team One by using tactics like those, you'll be out of here before we can even find somebody to replace you." He warned.

As the bald man walked away Bryce felt his anger bubble up a bit more, didn't they see he was doing them a favour by trying to keep the friend killing bastard off their team?

xXx

Sergeant Robert Ryans looked up from his double-double and out the window of his car, a wicked grin on his face when he saw the relaxed expression on his friends face as the blonde came across the parking lot. "Good night?" he couldn't help but ask.

"None of your business." Sam couldn't help rolling his eyes to hide his grin as he climbed into the passenger side of what he assumed to be Rob's newest favourite sport car. "What's this one?"

Gray eyes brightened as the other officer gave his steering wheel a one armed hug. "2010 Dodge Viper ACR-X. This is the latest addition to my collection, isn't she beautiful?" When the other man didn't reply and just reached around into the backseat to grab the two standard issue 9mm Rob sighed, muttering under his breath. "Kate appreciates it at least."

"Whatever, did we find our guy yet?" Sam asked as he checked the mag from his gun. 

"All we know is he's hiding out in the scraps; just south of Brampton. That's as far as we could narrow it down to so we still have some searching to do." Rob replied starting his car.

"Brampton?" Sam frowned as they pulled out of the SRU parking lot. "That's only twenty minutes from here, Why is he so close?"

Grey eyes glanced over at the blonde with a shrug. "They're thinking he didn't have time to run anywhere else before we closed the ports and sent people out after him."

A frown. "And what are you thinking."

"I think he must be planning something. There may be something in Brampton that he can use, what it is… I have no idea." The white haired man muttered tapping his fingers against the steering wheel idly as they stopped at a red light. "But if it's enough for Cattan to run to, I'm worried."

XxX

He collapsed on all fours, panting heavily as he tried to breathe, saliva dripped out of the corner of his mouth and his face was a too dark shade of red to be healthy as the man continued to gag.

Finally moments later, what meagre food he had eaten that day came spilling out onto floor beneath him. Watery eyes glanced down and grinned when his gaze landed on the black plastic in the midst of his stomach acid. Reaching forward he picked the small piece up and shakily climbed to his feet.

On the other side of the balcony the large French doors swung open revealing a man in ripped baggy jeans and a faded black t-shirt standing in the doorframe. The newcomer grimaced, reaching up to fix his baseball cap as he looked over the white robed man who had just thrown up in front of him. "That's disgusting." He stated his voice thick with a heavy accent as he shivered from the Toronto winter air.

The robed man shrugged his shoulders stepping around the mess he had made to hold the plastic out to the younger man. "Perhaps, but using bodies to transport cargo is a time honoured custom Ali."

Dark eyes rolled as Ali held out his hand, a handkerchief sitting over his palm and the white robed man dropped the hunk of plastic into it. Quickly wrapping it up Ali sighed. "It could not be gold or something. Something worth being in trouble for."

Thin fingers shot out wrapping around Ali's neck with a strength that belied the age of the body they were attached to. The carrier watched the younger mans eyes flash in fear before smiling knowingly at him. "What is in that," He snapped tapping the wrapped up piece of plastic in Ali's hand, "Is much more important than gold boy."

Giving a final squeeze the older man released the only other living being in the building from his grasp. "Now go do what we hired you to do. Clean it up, she will be here to collect it soon enough."

Rubbing his tender neck Ali nodded. "O-oui monsieur Cattan," He stumbled over himself, his words reverting back to his native language. "Tout de suite monsieur!" With that the young man was gone, rushing back into the building to get to work.

Turning his own dark eyes out across the city below him, Cattan growled under his breath as he noticed the clear sky. Behind him the TV blared from its place beyond the doors Ali had left open.

'_**It is still unclear why at this time, but all planes out of Toronto Pearson International Airport have been ordered to remain grounded and all flights into the city have been redirected. Passengers and their loved ones remain stranded in hotels and waiting lobby's all across the country.' The newswoman spoke, her voice not betraying the confusion she felt. This story had come out of nowhere. **_

"_**Nobody is sure what has been going on, Police refuse to say if this has anything to do with a terrorist attack, but they appear to be taking no chances as they step up security within and around the city. There has been no word yet on when any of the flights will be released, if you need any extra information on your flight, below is a toll free number where you can reach-'**_

Ed frowned as he muted the TV above his head when the news changed topic. Three of the SRU teams had just been called in from their day off and Team One themselves had just been ordered to go on patrol, full gear with teams Two and Four.

And as Spike and Leah ran past behind him quickly doing up their vests, Ed threw down the remote and followed after them Wordy and Sietl directly on their tail. "Do we have anything yet?"

Spike flung his hand back passing the team leader a piece of slightly crumbled paper. "We just got this from Kira. This is the guy we're looking for, Hamir Cattan."

"Apparently he's some what of a bad ass." Leah stated as they met up with Jules and Greg beside the Suburban's.

"Alright Team, Listen up," Greg said, his voice uncharacteristically tight. "This is a scouting mission only if we see the subject we are not to engage him in any way. On another note, the warrant for his arrest was issued by Major Michael Howlett so it looks like the Army's going to have a hand in this-"

"You'd be correct on that account Sergeant Parker."

Jules whipped around at the familiar voice and was surprised to see Sam's friend Kate Wagner standing directly behind them, two men on her left and another woman and man on her right. All five of them were dressed in their army greens and looking deadly serious; the sniper hadn't even heard any of them come up behind her. "Kate?"

The woman tucked her head in a quick nod still not pleased with Jules after their last encounter. "It's good to see you again Constables." Turning to her right Wagner looked at the people who had come with her. "Okay people, Lloy go with Team Two, Mason, Team Three." The two officers saluted her before running off. "James you'll be assigned to Team Four and Beckett you'll have Team Five." Two more salutes and the two men were gone.

"What's going on here Wagner?" Ed growled under his breath, he wasn't too fond of the woman's pushy attitude at the best of times. "Sam isn't here."

Brown eyes turned to him, regarding him coolly. "I'm not here on behalf of Second Lieutenant Sam Braddock, However it is my duty to inform you I am assigned to your team for the duration of the next twenty four hours in regards to locating and apprehending the wanted war criminal Hamir Cattan."

The entire team was quiet so the woman quickly added. "These are my orders Sergeant Parker," Kate looked over at the bald man who wasn't glaring daggers in her direction. "This is a serious case and I need all the cooperation I can get from you and your unit. Any more questions I have the clearance to answer I will. But we have to move out now."

Greg exchanged a quick judging glance with Ed. Their eyes saying everything they couldn't out loud. Finally the older man nodded towards the army woman. "Alright, let's go keep the peace."

Xx

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, the next chapter should be up relatively shortly… but you know, I always say that and then you end up waiting a month or so… Sorry!


	5. Findings

So I have a thing with ending all the titles of these chapters 'ing'. Haha, just something to amuse myself I guess.

On another note, I was watching Galacy Quest the other day and my milk came out my nose when I saw Enrico suddenly beam onto my screen. My parents looked at me like I had two heads. XD

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The Suburban was quiet as Ed sped down the highway. Next to him in the passenger seat Kate sat adjusting the ear piece Spike had given her and behind them Leah sat nervously, able to sense the tension between the other two. She had never met the brown haired woman before but was slightly intrigued by her team mate's initial reaction. The ex-firefighter made a mental note to ask Wordy about it later.

"Spike." Kate tapped her ear piece finally getting it to turn on. "I'm going to send you a phone number, I want you to get a lock on its GPS for me."

In the vehicle behind them Spike flipped open his laptop and let his fingers dance over the keyboard, "Alright go ahead Kate."

"The numbers on your screen… and Constable," Ed heard the strict tone in the woman's' voice. "Please, I ask that you refer to me as Corporal or Wagner."

At the confused look from the SRU officers the brown haired woman pulled out a silver sharpie and scribbled a quick note in her messy scrawl on the dash board in front of her. 'Open airways, listening' Ed cocked an eyebrow in her direction but Kate just shook her head.

"So, who's Spike tracking?" Leah piped up from the backseat as she leaned over to watch the techie work.

"Sergeant Robert Ryans and Sam Braddock."

XxX

Two cars back Wordy perked up as he listened to the conversation going on ahead of them. "I don't understand, what's going on?"

There was silence over the airwaves for another moment before Kate spoke. "I'm sorry, that is not within my ability to answer."

"Ability?" Sietl scowled from the third Suburban.

Kate felt her skin prickle at the sound of the man's voice. Casting a quick look around, she let her eyes fall back to the computer screen where she had been watching Spike triangulating her comrade's position. "Well, I should say you do not have the proper clearance to know."

"So," Greg started, "Why are you going after this guy Ha…Haffin-"

"Hamir Cattan." The Corporal corrected for him. "For a list of crimes as long as my arm, that's why were going after him."

"Lemme guess, List we can't know about?" Spike muttered as his computer beeped as the map in front of him zoomed in and his computer continued to narrow down the trace.

"Sorry Spikey,"

"Is there anything we _**can**_ know?" The team leader snapped from his spot in the drivers seat.

Kate frowned thinking to herself. "You can know that several hours ago after receiving his orders and leaving SRU headquarters, we lost contact with Braddock and his partner Sergeant Ryans."

"Wait, his orders?" Jules asked aloud from the passenger's seat next to Wordy.

"Yes, after his return from Afghanistan mid-day yesterday he was ordered to complete his mission before they ship him back out after his arm heals."

"Wait, I thought that when Sam left Afghanistan this time he was coming back for good," You didn't have to be sitting in the car with Greg to know that one of his eyebrows was raised beneath the brim of his hat.

The other brunette turned in her seat confusion written clear on her face to look at Ed. "Coming back; to the SRU? Didn't he tell you?" She blinked at the confused silence. "He's not coming back."

xXx

Sam grit his teeth against the fire burning along his arm. "Tell me again how you thought this was a good idea!" he hissed lowly as footsteps pounded away over their heads causing loose dirt to rain down on their heads.

"Well how was I to know he'd have the damn subway entrances guarded." The white haired man snapped back from his place sitting next to the blonde, both of them had their knees drawn up and guns in hands. The branch of the alley they were hiding in was small and cramped, leaving little leg room for either of the men.

"Because it's him! And, Damnit, Rob-" Sam's snit was cut short as he gave a sharp intake of breath as his head spun, leaning heavily against the dirty brick wall behind him for support. Suddenly feeling two hands reach out and hold onto his good shoulder he let his friend take some of his weight.

"Come on Sam, pack it in." Rob muttered his worry being replaced by an eerie calm. "Howls probably already has a team out looking for us, it won't take long and Miro'll have you hooked up with some of those good drugs; how does that sound?"

Blue eyes narrowed at the man next to him but bit down the wave of nausea that was rising in him. Good drugs sounded good, but so did getting out of this stupid mess alive. Sam never would have guessed that hunting down Cattan in the dessert would ever be preferable to doing it anywhere else. Hah! His brain mocked him. Shows what you know.

Sam couldn't help the frown, god he had to stop talking with his sub-consciousness. He did it far too often to be considered healthy. The fact that it was right more often then not was slightly more worrisome too. But now, he just assumed that the little voice that was taunting him was a result of the pain running through his arm when the large burn and deep cuts he had sustained, re-opened.

"Damnit," He swore under his breath, his jacket wet with blood and sticking to the brick wall as he shifted in Rob's hold. "We need to get out of here; we can't wait for others to show up."

"And how do you plan on doing that Wunderboy?" The grey eyed man glared at him.

An un-amused look was sent Rob's way at the stupid nickname, but he pointed upwards with his gun. "Wait for a lull in movement, run like hell, how does that sound? I can't do another hour or two of waiting in pain."

Ryan shook his head. Sam must be in a lot of pain if he was going so far to admit it, even if it was after a joke. "It's a shitty plan Braddock…but I guess it's all we got, come on." He held out his hand, helping Sam shift so he was kneeling in front of the opening into the larger alley. "How about the next time we chase a wanted war criminal down a dark and dingy set of catacombs, we bring one of the girls along with us?"

"How about we just don't go down the creepy tunnels anymore?" Sam retorted climbing out of the crevice they had jumped into earlier, Rob seconds behind him.

"Sounds like we've got sixty second intervals between each set of footsteps, can't be more then three in a group. Ready?"

Sam nodded, bracing himself against the wave of pain as he straightened his back. "Let's get the hell out of here."

xXx

"Got a lock!"

Spikes exclamation cut through the awkward silence Kate had caused. "Due East, Ten blocks away, Morningside Drive Scarborough area."

"Scarborough?" The one armed woman narrowed her eyes glaring at the blinking dot on the computer screen in her lap. "Those idiots were supposed to be looking in Brampton!" she growled.

"Why would they steer so far away from their orders?" Ed asked as he kicked the Suburban's speed up.

"God only knows, but the reason better be a god damn good one or I'm going to skin the bastards."

"Alright guys, we'll stick to the silent approach, radios on channel four," The bald man ordered hearing several affirmatives in his ear. "Take extra cuffs with you, lets try and keep body count to a minimum-"

"Belay that." The brunette to his right snapped. "It moves, you shoot it, understand?"

"But what if it it's Sam or your Sergeant?" Spike piqued up, his voice startled.

Kate shook her head lifting her leg up onto the seat so she could slip a knife from her jacket into the side of her boot. "You take the shot if you've got it, any life lost in this mission is deemed acceptable and that includes theirs, mine and yours."

Apparently causing awkward silences was something Kate was prone to, and very good at doing. Because she did it a lot. "Look I know it sucks but sometimes you have to take lives to save lives." She muttered darkly motioning for Ed to pull over into an abandoned parking lot. "If you can't deal with that, then just stay in the car."

She climbed out of the Suburban as the lead sniper killed the engine.

"Ed?" Wordy's voice cut through on the radio as the SRU remained in the cars.

"This case is their jurisdiction, we should just follow her orders." Bryce stated moving to get out of the Jeep.

"But-" Spike was interrupted as Jules jumped out of the back seat. "Jules!"

The brown haired sniper growled under her breath as she watched Sietl climb out of the suburban next to her to stand next to Kate. She wasn't particularly fond of either of them but if Sam was in trouble she'd take their help to get him back… if only so she could beat him herself. Because, damn it… she was pissed at him.

Kate couldn't really say she was surprised when Jules climbed out of the jeep but somewhere deep down inside she grinned as the others quickly followed her out. The army officer had told them to shoot what moved, but the Corporal doubted very much that they would. But it didn't matter, if they couldn't finish it, she would.

"Any idea on how we're getting in?" Ed slid up to stand beside the woman a look of concentration on his face that rivalled Jules.

The one armed woman smirked eyes flittering from the ground over to Sam's replacement. "You, with the face, what kind of training you got?"

Bryce frowned pulling his gun close to him. "Cobra, Dessert Ops, Jeu du la Mort-"

Kate's eyes lit up with glee, and if she had two hands she would have been rubbing them together. "Good, Okay, we're going to spilt up, we're going to take this place in two teams. Let's get too it!"

* * *

Buwhahaha, The next chapter will be full of action so I hope you'll stick around, Thanks for bearing with me for soooo long.


	6. Saving

Well, -brushes dust off of keyboard- another instalment, There should only be one or two more chapters after this and then that's all. ^^ I won't torture you by making you read all of this nonsense anymore. Haha, A little more action in this chapter then in previous ones. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Cattan growled as he stared at the still frames on the desk in front of him. The images were grainy making it hard to see any details but it was easy to tell the photos had been printed from a security camera. Two things however stood out clear on the paper, on one sheet a running Rob and Sam, while on the other, clear profiles of Kate, Jules, Ed and Spike as they appeared to be sneaking in the entrance of the decrepit building.

"ALI!" he snapped shooting to his feet, his white robes flowing out behind him the man sped out of the room and down the hall towards the stairs. About halfway down the steps loud music started reaching his ears. Shaking his head he burst into the room right at the bottom of the stairs, nearly knocking the door off in his haste.

Heavy metal music blasted his ear drums and Hamir quickly reached out slamming his fist down on the power button on the large boom box. Immediately the hunched over figure across the room shot up dropping the saudering iron and metal pick in his hands onto the table top where he had been working. The young man had had every intention of yelling at whoever turned off his music but let the words die in his throat when he saw the Cattan behind him. "What is it?"

"We have company." Hamir stated angrily moving into the dark room lit only by the lights overhead the table. "And if you would stop playing that racket you would have heard me call for you."

"I am working-" He was cut off by the older man.

"I do not care Ali. The lieutenant and his friend have obviously called for backup before we started up the interference. It looks like four more soldiers have shown up, I have men out looking for them now, but they could be anywhere in the building. How close are you to finishing?"

Ali shook his head glancing over his shoulder at his work. "It is a slow process, I am maybe halfway done. He did good job in encasing it."

"Well you have to find a way to speed it up; it doesn't have to be perfect, just usable." Hamir turned on his heel, "I'm leaving guards with you so hurry it up."

"Oui Monsieur!" The younger man whipped around getting right back to work

XxX

Kate growled under her breath as she barely caught her footing as she slipped on a patch of slime. "I hate sewers." She snapped shaking her boot trying to rid it of the dirty water.

"It's a bit of slime, you'll be fine." Ed stated from directly behind her.

Behind them Jules and Spike exchanged glanced before rolling their eyes. They had split up, leaving Wordy, Leah, Sietl and Greg to follow another path outlined by the army woman into the building via a side entrance, leaving the back way, which led from the subway directly into the building, for the four of them. Only apparently Kate hadn't counted on the slime.

The sudden sound of hurried footsteps stopped them however, and made the woman stop her complaints and fall silent. Pressing himself as flat as he could against the cement drain wall, Spike watched with a frown as Kate slipped her gun back into her holster before taking the handle of the knife from her side into her only hand. Motioning for the others to stay where they were the woman crouched down, barely seeing the other police officers set their backs against the wall; Ed taking the opposite side to cover her.

They waited, breath frozen in their lungs as the footsteps got louder and louder, coming closer to their position. Twirling the knife in her hand Kate slipped forward and it was only years of sudden surprising sounds that kept Ed from firing his gun at the large red blur that darted out of the sewer drain which was immediately pounced on by-

"Pack it in Kate!" The new comer snapped from his spot where he had been tripped into the ankle deep dirty water, with said woman kneeing him in the spine to keep him still.

The army woman blinked downwards in surprise removing her knife from the mans throat. "Where the hell did you come from?" She asked rolling off the white haired officer and back to her feet.

Gray eyes glared up at her as the man climbed back to his own feet shaking the dirty water off of his red jacket. "Back that way." He stated motioning over his shoulder before glancing down at his ruined top. "Thanks a lot by the way." He glared at Kate.

"Hey, I got slimed on, it's only fair that you did too." The army woman grinned turning back to the SRU. "Guys, Robert Ryans, Rob, meet Sam's friends."

Rob's face spilt into a smile, "Oh good, help." But anything else he was going to say was cut off as Bryce looked over his shoulder."

"Guys, we have company coming on out six."

Several rifles whipped around and Kate looked up at Rob. "Do you know where Sam is?"

The sergeant shook his head. "We got spilt up a few minutes ago when we had some dogs on our tails. My radios not working so I haven't been able to get a hold of him either."

"Yeah ours crapped out on us too, they must have set up a blocker." Kate sighed looking over her shoulder at the Ed and Jules who were staring down the darkened sewer, just waiting for something to pop out at them. "Take them with you to clear the building, I'll find Blondie and meet up with you on the roof."

"No more recognisance?" Rob gave her a fake pout unclipping his gun from its holster on his leg.

"Recon got thrown out the window when you ended up in Scarborough, inside the enemies' stronghold dimwit." Kate snapped turning on her heel and starting down the way her friend had come up. "It's time to clean up this mess once and for all."

"Kate, wait!" Rob turned to the grey clothed officers. "Any of you have any bandages?"

Jules frowned, exchanging a look with Ed, the two snipers shaking their head no, Spike however dug in one of the pockets of his pants.

"I've got Ace bandages, will those do?" the techie proffered holding them out to the one armed woman who sent a questioning glance to Rob.

"They'll do fine," Rob waved off Kate letting her head off down the right drain, clapping Spike on the shoulder and steering the Italian towards the left drain exit, "We should move fast, I don't know how much of our backup call got through to our CO before we were cut off and I want to get to Cattan before he manages to escape."

Brown eyes were narrowed as Jules watched Kate disappear into the tunnel, "One of us should go with her."

"Too dangerous." Rob stated pressing on her back to move the female sniper down after Spike and Ed. "She'll find Sam and get back to us, but we have bigger fish to fry then your boyfriend little lady."

"He's not my boyfriend-" she hissed knowing Ed would be listening.

"Yeah, yeah, the rules; save it for someone who gives a rats ass." The white haired man growled giving her a quick shove.

XxX

Sam let out a hiss of pain as his back hit the floor sending a wave of pain directly down his arm. But the pain was pushed out of his mind as he brought his empty gun up to block the blade that was swung down towards his face. Grimacing with the effort the blonde sniper managed to push the dark clothed man off of his legs but before Sam could get to his feet the attacker was back, aiming a swift kick to the already injured mans ribs.

Letting out a loud hiss Sam wrapped his arm around the mans leg but instead of tripping him like it should have the dark haired man dropped to his knees straddling Sam's chest, pinning the blondes wounded arm to his side. Using his momentum the attacker clasped thin digits around Sam's other hand and pinned it to the floor.

Panic rose in the snipers chest as fingers wrapped around his neck cutting off his air, the mans' fingers digging into his skin. Blue eyes met gleaming brown that loomed over him and Sam bucked widely trying to dislodge the man sitting on him but failed. Just as the corners of his vision started to go black and he had stopped cursing himself for losing Rob at the last turn, Sam felt the mans grip clench once more before loosening.

Sam's eyes widened as the man on top of him stopped so suddenly before collapsing in a heap onto the ground beside him. Gasping for breath the blonde pushed the limp body off of him only then noticing the throwing knife sticking out of the mans back. A throwing knife that was most likely placed expertly in between the second and third rib in the mans back and several inches right into his heart.

Knowing that aim anywhere Sam glanced down the sewer line and sure enough there was Kate running towards him, hand bereft of her favourite throwing knife. "A-am I glad to see you." Sam winced at his hoarse voice, raising a hand to his sore neck when the woman came up next to him.

Kneeling down next to him the brunette propped her friend up against her leg. "Just breathe Sam, slow breathes alright," she gently brushed the mans hand away and winced at the bruises already forming around his neck. "I will ask you the same question I asked Rob, what the hell happened to Recon? To looking around and letting people who aren't hurt do the poking and prodding." She snapped

Sam rolled his eyes, she sounded like Jules. "We got a-a little carried `way." He muttered shakily climbing to his feet, Kate following him up to make sure he didn't keel over and face plant the ground.

Biting her lip the woman frowned. "Maybe I should take you to go wait outside." At the blondes glare she added quickly, "I'm just saying Sam, you look like you're going to fall over any second now and if your shoulders going to be hurting you too much I'd rather have you where its safe."

Blue eyes turned away from the woman next to him as Sam shook his head. "I just want this over with, I want this bastard dead, so I can go home and sleep for the next three days."

Kate gave him a bitter smile before digging into the pocket of her army green jacket for the bandages Spike had had. "Then lets wrap you up and get this done."

The work was awkward, with having only two arms between the two people, but finally Sam sighed in relief when Kate smoothed out the bandage over the cuts. They had stopped bleeding finally and the pain had lessened to a more tolerable level. Halfway though shrugging his jacket back on Sam saw a surprised look cross Kate's face and her now bloodied hand went up to her ear.

"Yeah I can hear you." She stated and Sam leaned over placing his ear beside hers, apparently their call for back-up had gotten through.

"We found the scrambling device, right next to a large power generator, we shut that off also."

Sam frowned at the voice on the other end. "Is that Sietl?"

"Is that Sam?" It was Greg's voice this time.

The brunette just smiled innocently at the blonde and gave him a one armed shrug as if to say 'there's-nothing-you=can-do-about-it-now-so-suck-it-up.' "Yeah, we've gotten my guys… wait, you took it took out the generator? How?"

"…I shot it?" the grin in Bryce's voice was audible through the ear piece.

"Oh man, I like this guy." Kate chuckled under her breath. "Alright, stay where you're at, we're coming to meet up with you; and contact the others on channel four and tell them to do the same.

"Copy that."

The line in Kate's ear went quiet and she turned her brown eyes back towards her friend.

"I think you and I need to have a little talk on what classifies as acceptable back-up." Sam muttered darkly.

But Kate just rolled her eyes and handed over the gun from her thigh holster to the blonde. "I'm sure they'll be fine." She added leaning over, placing a foot on the dead mans back for leverage as she gave a forceful tug on her knife, it slipping loose with little resistance. "Come on, we should hurry, If we don't get up to Cattan soon he'll manage to get away again."

* * *

Ooohhh, Kate is fond of Bryce's ablitity to shoot first, I wonder what that means... because even I don't know... well thats not true, I do know, just not to sure how to get there. Anyways, Thanks for sticking around so long everyone!


	7. Planning

-sobs as she chisels away at the caked on dust- I'm so sorry.. so sorry…-falls over- I tried! Honestly, but this story has escaped me! T.T So even though I wrote another chapter (FINALLY)…. IT STILL SUCKS! DX

I… I have nothing else to say.

XxX

Kate slipped into the room, Sam seconds behind her, making sure the hallway to their back was kept clear.

Greg looked up as the door closed sharply behind Sam. Nodding to the younger man he watched as his rookie sagged heavily against the wall. "Sam."

The blonde glanced up out of breath before nodding back to him. "Boss."

"Well, now that we're all back together again," Ed started, "How about we get out of here."

"No can do." Rob stated immediately from his place beside the control panel.

"Still lots of work to be done." Kate added as she glanced from one of the digital monitors over her shoulder to the bald man. "Isn't that right Sammy?"

The blonde who had had let his eyes slid shut, opened them to look at his friends. "Yeah."

The brunette army woman cocked her head to the side a bit more at his lame answer but instead of calling him on it, turned back to her screen as Sietl drew her attention away.

Jules slid up to Sam's side laying a hand on his lower arm. "You alright?"

He gave her a lopsided grin, "Yeah, just getting tired." She obviously didn't believe him if her glare was anything to go by but Sam just waved it off. "Got work to do."

"There."

The group of officers turned at Kate's exclamation. She had her only hand raised to one of the various screens above her head. "Got the security feeds back up and running," She chuckled. "And look at what I found."

Spike looked at the blurry image where her finger was pointing. "You can make that out?"

"Think you could do any better? These are old machines." Kate muttered setting her hand on her hip.

With a small smirk the Italian motioned her out of the way, taking her place at the computer.

Kate exchanged looks with Rob who was watching the techie with growing interest before turning to Sam who was on her other side. "You know I may have to commandeer your team, they're pretty useful."

Sam didn't even look at her. "Do it and die." Had he been paying close enough attention he would have seen the look Wordy sent to the Sergeant at his side and the smile Greg sent back. "There. Five guards in the Southeast hall, several more scattered throughout the North wing,"

"And one lone Hamir Cattan shredding evidence in his office," Rob smirked as Spike made Kate's earlier picture come in crystal clear. "Totally unprotected."

Kate nodded. "They must be out looking for our bait then."

The blonde sniper to her side felt a wave of dread wash over him. "Bait?"

"Yup, your sergeant and the others came in through the front while we snuck in the back" The brunette army woman smiled but before Sam could berate her Leah spoke up.

"I thought it was only your Cattan guy in the building?" The ex-firefighter questioned motioning to the last screen to her left. On it, the room was dark, except beside a large workbench where sparks were flying and smoke curled into the air under a small work light. The frame of a lean man blocking out much of the light.

"It should be empty other then Cattan's security." Rob muttered leaning back to glance over Leah's shoulder then to Sam and Kate. "Either of you recognize him?"

Both of them shook their heads.

"Great, another thing to make our day more difficult." Ed sighed.

The white haired man straightened up looking over the group of officers in the room. "We won't worry about him, we deal with Cattan, anything else can wait, if we break off into groups we can get this done quicker."

"This building was large from the outside, something tells me the inside is going to be a lot worse." Wordy muttered shifting the gun in his hands.

"I agree, I don't think splitting up is a good idea any more." Kate agreed.

Sam shook his head in protest. "If we don't we risk losing our target," he shot back at his friend. "And honestly I'd rather not have to go back to the desert to kill him."

Out of the corner of his eye Greg saw Jules flinch unconsciously at Sams harsh tone, her brown eyes were trained on the back of the blonde.

"I can see a cat-walk, how about a Sierra shot?" Ed offered up as he glanced out the window beside him. Rob came up and gave a quick look over the other mans shoulder a plan quickly forming in his mind.

"Hell, maybe we won't have to wait for Cattan to move to take him out." he sighed. "You a good log distance marksman?" Grey eyes flickered to Ed's face but it was Sam who answered him.

"He's the best." The blonde stated causing Greg to grin to himself.

Rob nodded. "Good," Slapping the bald man on the shoulder he motioned at Ed. "You, you're coming with me." He and Ed were just about to take off when Sam spoke up again catching onto the white haired mans plan.

"Rob wait, take somebody else with you… just in case."

Grey eyes turned on blue, a retort on his lips that he was enough back up by himself but it died on his lips when he saw Sam's glare. Rob growled under his breath but glanced to his left where Greg was standing. "Will he do?"

Sam looked at Greg who nodded, moving to follow after his friend.

"Be careful." Kate called to their backs.

Ed smirked looking at the lead negotiator as they headed for the door, their pace quick. "Missing the truck yet Boss?"

"Every minute." Greg laughed and the three men slid silently into the hallway heading back for the exit.

Silence sat in the room for a moment, most eyes stuck on the door before Sietl spoke up. "What the hell just happened?" He had been unable to keep up with the army officers line of thinking and garbled mess they called a plan.

"I second that question." Spike muttered raising his hand.

Brown eyes glanced down at the techie who was looking back and forth between the army officers and the door. "We just sent the three of them to a safe place while the rest of us get to barge straight down this hallway into the arms of the enemy." Kate smiled. "And those two will likely kick up more of a fuss if we started killing people in front of them then you guys will when things start flying."

Bryce grinned. "Sounds like fun." Everyone in the room turned to look at him like he had two heads, minus Kate who just grinned. "I'm just saying, now we'll finally be able to see what all the fuss is about, with this Hamir Cattan guy."

Sam just rubbed the bridge of his nose trying to ignore the dull throbbing starting in the back of his head, a pain that was only matched by the burning sensation in his arm. "Two groups," The blonde stated suddenly, ready to get this show over with. Holding a hand to up to silence Kate's protest he added. "It's faster and there's less of a chance we end up shooting one of our own. I'll take Leah, Spike and Wordy and head d-"

"Wait a minute! I'm going with you." Jules cut him off grabbing Sams arm to stop him.

The male sniper shook his head. "Its way to dangerous-"

"I don't care, Wordy can go with Kate and Bryce." She snapped. "I'm going with you."

Recognizing the stubborn look in her eye Sam felt his resolve failing. "Jules…"

"Good god, just take her!" Kate snapped. "And in more ways then one;" she blatantly ignored the others disgusted looks. "Just get it over with already and get going."

Sam rolled his eyes ignoring the crude comment from the other brunette. Pushing against Jules arm he turned her around and headed for the door. "Let's just go. We get Cattan taken down and we can all go home."

"Fine, you guys take the North wing;" Kate instructed reaching up to fix her ear piece as she ran to meet up with Sam at the door, "Our group will head South and double round to meet you on the east side of the building near his office."

The blonde just nodded taking the gun from his belt but paused staring at the metal weapon for a moment. Suddenly he replaced it in the back of his pants, his belt keeping it secure. Reaching over he slipped the police issued knife from Spikes belt. "Stealth is good."

"Now you're talking." The brunette army woman grinned evilly sliding her own favourite knife from her sleeve. Glancing at Sietl and Wordy she motioned for them to head out into the hallway. "Gentlemen first."

As the two groups departed Sam, Jules, Leah and Spike to the right, and Kate, Sietl and Wordy to the left, none of them noticed on the screen Leah had pointed to earlier, the lean man stand up from his workbench. The sparks stopped and the smoke dissipated just as the man disappeared from the camera's view.

XxX

Ali panted as he flung himself up the sets of stairs towards the room where Hamir had been staying. He burst through the door to see shredded paper littering the floor and several small fires going in waste baskets around the room. "Monsieur Cattan."

Old eyes shot to him and a pleased look crossed Hamir's face. "You are done?"

The younger man nodded coming closer holding out his hand. "Yes sir, it is done as you asked." Ali stated his hands shaking as Hamir took the small black object from him. "I do not know if it will work thou-"

"It will work." The certainty in the older mans voice was unnerving. "It's the way he made it. He had to be able to access it himself, otherwise it would have been pointless." Hamir smiled at Ali before dashing over to his desk, pulling out a handgun from his top drawer. "You have done a remarkable job, now."

Ali felt the breath leave him. "A g-gun Monsieur?" _Oh heaven, please don't kill me._

Hamir nodded and as if sensing the other mans apprehension laughed. "I am not going to take you out boy; she'd kill me if I did." He tossed the loaded weapon to Ali. "Take it, get out of this building, you'll find guards at the end of the hall, get them to take you to the safety of Giselle's Palace. The people there will keep you safe until you can be recovered."

The brown eyed man nodded and turned on his heel dashing out of the room as fast as he could. Watching him go Hamir let a frown cross his features. There was no way the boy was getting out of the building alive. 'Sorry Lady Chiwa, guess your fondness of the boy will be for nothing, there's no way the soldiers will let him leave alive.' His thoughts echoed in his head.

Glancing down at his hand the robed man inspected the handiwork of the soon to be late-Ali. Holding up the now uncovered item to the light, Hamir smirked at the black flash drive he now possessed. "The world at your fingertips, so easy to bring it to knees."

Papers, that a moment ago he had been hurrying to dispose of, were left scattered around the room. Nothing else was of any importance any more, least of all any secrets that may be on the pages at his feet. No. None of that matter. He had what he came for, what he had brought over inside his body in its incomplete form.

A loud beeping brought his attention back to the world at large, the proximity alarm going haywire on his desk told him not to delay any longer. Slipping the flash drive into his robes Hamir whipped around and headed for the roof.

XxX

Jules watched the blonde in front of her anxiously her brown eyes roving over the hallway before returning to the back of Sams head. She hadn't noticed it earlier, when she picked him up from the airport but his face seemed harder then before. It was a look eerily reminiscent of the way he was when they had first met. Cold, calculating…dangerous.

Her heart thudded in her chest, gloved hands tightened around the handle of her gun as she crept slowly behind Sam. Jules eyed the knife clutched in his hand with apprehension, her own weapon plastered to her hip in case of emergency because no matter what happened, she doubted she'd be able to so quickly kill with her bare hands like Kate seemed able, almost eager, to do.

Sam held up a hand suddenly as they came to a spilt hallway, the other three behind him stopping dead in their tracks. "Footsteps." His voice was barely a whisper. Motioning for them to stay where they were the sniper snuck out into the adjoining hallway towards where the sounds were coming from.

Crouching down Leah trained her own rifle covering Sam's back as he moved. From her spot she caught the blonde tapping the blade of his knife against his dirty jeans three times. Before she could even think Sam threw himself against the wall trying to be as small as possible in the low lighting.

Suddenly from a door to Sams left, three darkly dressed men burst out into the hallway, each of them armed to the teeth. The snipers reaction was instantaneous. As one man leapt at him Sam reached out grabbing the attackers wrist and darted forward, driving his blade home into the side of the mans ribcage and into the soft tissue of his organs. Pulling his blade free the military brat whipped around on his heel a high kick connecting with one of the other men's cheeks, sending him sprawling.

The third attacker was much luckier. Brass knuckles collided solidly with the right side of Sam's back causing the blonde to fall forward onto the floor. Catching himself quickly Sam rolled onto his good shoulder and landed on his knee. Taking the moment of surprise the third attacker was having, the sniper threw the blade he had lifted from Spike directly into Mr. Brass Knuckles palm embedding it into the wall behind him. Not even a second later Sam had his arm pushing against the guards larynx and was slowly crushing it beneath his weight.

Movement seen out of the corner of his eye had Sam suddenly reversing places with the man stuck to the wall just in time to have a throwing knife stick into his back. Looking over the mans now limp form the blonde saw the guard he had kicked had managed to get back up and was looking shocked at having taken out his own guy. Yanking Spikes blade out of the hand still attached to the wall Sam drove it into the last remaining mans neck.

Panting heavily Sam stepped back letting the body hit the floor along with his comrades. Warm blood covered his hands and dripped off the knife in his hands. Blue eyes glanced over to the three staring at him in horror. "We have to keep moving," he muttered and without waiting to see if they followed headed through the door where the three guards had come from.

Jules felt sick. Her stomach twisted around itself as she took in the sight of the dead men at their feet. Men Sam had killed. It was just so wrong 'So wrong.' She thought trying not to throw up. It was one thing to kill from a distance, to not be close to someone as the final breath leaves their body… but to be the cause of it while you're right in front of them?

Brown eyes blinked. Sam really had changed she realized. He wasn't like someone who saves people anymore. No, he had hardened. He reminded her of a killer.

XxX

-faceplam- a whole new chapter and still nothing happens. Its all talking between Kate and Sam. –shakes head- D: Thanks for viewing... I'mma go find a train to step in front of…


	8. Betting aka Updating

So…. *goes back to chipping off dust with a chisel* Honestly I had set this story aside, due to lack of Flashpoint on air being the sole cause of my lack of writing for it. However a recent (yesterday) review from DJ set me back on the horse, so to speak… err back on the computer anyways. And, hopefully I'll sit down and stop being such a lazy arse and finish the rest of this god damn piece of thing. Haha, Sorry it took forever.

I don't own flashpoint, just Kate, Rob and horrible, horrible ideas about what to do to the writers if they don't stop being lazy and not produce more episodes.

* * *

"You're plan sucks!"

"Shut up, you sound like Sam!"

"Well then, as much as I hate to say it!" words were cut off by bullets flying into their cover stone. "Braddock has a point!"

"Oh, stop you're whining." Kate snapped back reaching around their hiding place to return fire. "You're a fan of gun-fights aren't you? You should be loving this."

The three officers of the other team had come under fire about halfway towards their goal on the other side of the building. What they hadn't counted on was the construction on their half and the pieces of equipment and cement wall supports strewn about the rooms. It had been a lucky break however unexpected, as several guards armed with automatic rifles rounded the corner to start firing at them.

"I only like them when there's something in it for me." Sietl growled. "There's nothing in this fight for me except death."

Brown eyes hit the ceiling as bits of cement flew everywhere; it was good to know Bryce had an interest in saving people. "Well, tell me something you want that I can give you that will inspire you to leap into action at any time now!"

Sietl glared at Kate as if trying to judge her sincerity. "If we live through this I want a recommendation to get back into the army!" He stated. "No more SRU, No more negotiation, just straight up army."

Kate sunk down a bit lower from the metal rain above them. "Tell you what, you take out fifteen or more of their guys and I'll personally tell every General I know what a good soldier you are and how much you want to be back on the force."

Brown eyes glared at her in disbelief. "An' the chances of actually getting my job back if you do?"

The woman snorted waving her left hand around in exaggerated motions pretty much ignoring the bullets around them in favour of the challenge. "Trust me, any good words coming from me will land you a job! I don't highlight anybodies actions other then my own or Miro's and he's a fucking doctor!"

Sietl paused but nodded. "Deal!" Ducking his head Bryce flopped out on the floor and raised his rifle so it was resting on his arm. A couple of short bursts from his gun had several men on the ground, giving Wordy who was hiding in the hallway off to their right enough space to finally get a few of his own shots off of his own.

XxX

"Here that?" Spike muttered stopping in his tracks. "Gunfire."

"So much for the stealth approach," Leah stated looking towards the distant sound. "Hope you're friends are okay." She added turning back to Sam who seemed not to have heard her as he kept his quick pace down the hall. Exchanging quick glances with Spike the two could only shrug and jog to catch up with the others.

XxX

Ed peered down the scope of his rifle to the roof of the building they had left the others in. He could feel Greg looming over his left shoulder and Rob standing a fair bit away on his other side. "No sign of any of them."

"They'll be up." Rob muttered fiddling with the radio in his hands, the cold making his work slow as he tried to program into a certain channel. "Just give them time."

Greg looked over at the man, taking in the wet red jacket and mud streaked pants from where he had fallen in the sewer, he had to be freezing out here in the middle of winter in wet clothes; even though he didn't show any sign of being cold other then the stiff fingers.

Suddenly voices sprang from the radio in the army mans hands surprising the SRU leaders. The sounds were indistinct but Rob smiled regardless. "Authorization code Alpha Delta Six Charlie One Niner,"

The garbled sounds coming from the radio stopped as quickly as they had started letting one stern voice come out crystal clear…and it was pissed.

"RYANS!" Rob winced. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU AT?"

"Top of a building," The white haired man replied calmly, "Scarborough area, trace the radio signal; you've got about ten minutes to get here."

"Cattan?"

"Should be coming out any minute now Major."

There were no more words as the radio went silent and Rob switched it back to its normal settings. Flicking it onto Channel four he quickly muttered into the mic. "Calvary's coming." Ed watched as Rob shoved the radio back into his pocket before coming over to kneel down beside the bald sniper. "Any minute now."

"To what?" The lead negotiator asked suspicious.

Ignoring the older man gray eyes looked at Ed. "When I give you the signal, take Cattan out, got it?"

Ed inhaled sharply casting a weary glance over to Greg who just rubbed a hand over his face and motioned with his hand for Ed to go ahead. "Got it."

XxX

Kate sneezed as she climbed to her feet and out from behind their hiding spot. Ejecting the empty clip from her gun she sighed and tossed it aside, Sam having stolen all of her ammo made it less then useful. Instead she scooped one of the smaller Glocks attached to the dead men's side into her hand to replace it. "Well, that was fun, but now we just attracted all the attention to us."

"That's fine, I've got six more guys to go." Sietl said as he and Wordy joined Kates side.

Wordy frowned looking between the two dust covered brunettes. "Six more to go for what?" he asked.

"Nothing," Sietl shrugged knowing Wordy would not approve of their bet, "We should get moving."

The army woman grinned and nodded before pausing the radio in her ear going off a moment. "Calvary's coming," she repeated, "We've got ten minutes till I'm in deep shit."

The two men dressed in gray gave her a confused look but she ignored it like always and started down the hallway. "Let's go, the others aren't going to wait for us."

XxX

"Cést eux encore une fois." The guard snapped halting suddenly raising his gun up.

'It's them again.' Ali swallowed thickly cradling the gun in his hand. "What are we going to do?"

"We have ta go through'em." The other guard, a man with a large scar over one eye stated from behind the younger man. "Back way out beens unda construction fer months now."

The dark haired man nodded sticking firmly between his two guards as they ventured slowly out into the larger hall weapons at the ready.

They were about halfway out before things got worse. For them.

Sam stepped into the same hallway Spike directly behind him, his gaze falling immediately onto the group of men in front of him. Stifling his curse Sam grabbed onto the techies vest and hauled him backwards to Jules and Leah just as they started firing. The blonde lost his footing in the rush causing both him and Spike to hit the ground, Sam landing heavily on his already wounded shoulder.

Bullets embedded themselves into the wall at the end of the hallway. "Damnit, now what?" Jules snapped wincing as more ammunition hit the wall adjacent to her back.

"Gotta find a way through them." Sam hissed staying on the floor, trying not to concentrate on the pain… damn Spike was heavier then he looked apparently.

"You go out there you're going to get shot." The female sniper stated firmly.

"We need to get past them-" Sam was cut off as Leah held one of her flash grenades down to his eye level. Mouth hanging open he looked up at the dark skinned woman and grinned. "That'll work."

Ali froze, his dark eyes catching the gleam of a small silver canister before the guards who were too busy trying to shoot their way through the wall. "Descendre!" But the warning to get down wasn't enough, the blinding flash made their vision to swim, and their ears to be useless, giving the others enough time to move.

The group of SRU agents were around the corner in a second. Leah grabbed the nozzle of one of the guards guns and ripped it out of his hands before landing several solid punches to the guards face sending him to the floor in a heap.

Jules had the other guard sprawled out next to Leah's poor victim with a swift hit with the butt of her gun to the side of his head.

Spike moved to grab onto the disorientated Ali but froze as the man raised his gun in his unsteady hands.

"St-stay back!" Ali shouted his gun swinging around widely as the technician tried to focus his vision solely on Spike. Jules and Leah both had their guns raised in a second but faster than both of them Sam started towards him and had a bullet lodged between the mans eyes before anyone could say anything. The younger man slumped to the floor in a mass of useless limbs.

"Hopefully that should be it for guards on our side." Sam muttered stepping over Ali's prone form "We keep going, we're almost there."

The others followed behind closely the blonde heading back the way the guards had come form. And apparently Sam hadn't been exaggerating as moments later they rounded a corner and ran up a flight of stairs that they found themselves standing in front of an open door.

Spike set his shoulder against the wall grabbing the handle as the others prepared to enter. Throwing the door open the techie jumped back letting the other three into the room before following behind them.

The room was empty except for several small wastebasket fires and papers that littered the floor.

"Shit." Sam hissed lowering his weapon but had it raised once more as a commotion was heard coming from the stairs.

Leah and Spike positioned themselves on each side of the open doorframe and waited, breath frozen in their lungs as the footsteps got closer and closer. Sam and Jules moved to stand behind Leah on the left just as three figures stepped into the room after them. With the dim light in the office it took till after the SRU officers had disarmed the new comers that they recognized the forms of Kate, Bryce and Wordy on the ground.

"Um, Owe?" Kates voice was muffled due to the floor.

"It's just us." Wordy muttered from his spot under Sams knee getting up onto his hands when the blonde moved away.

"Could have shot you man." Spike chuckled under his breath as he shook his head, giving a disgruntled Kate a hand getting to her feet as Leah passed Bryce his gun.

"What took you guys so long?" The blonde sniper questioned looking to Kate as the rest of the team spread out across the room.

"Construction," Kate replied waving her hand flippantly. "And sore losers with low scores." She cast a quick glance over her shoulder to Bryce who was looking out the window. "So no Cattan?"

Sam shook his head. "No, but these fires are mostly fresh, so my bet is he might still be around."

"Well, Greg and Ed haven't radioed yet so he hasn't come out top-side, he could still be in the building, because I highly doubt he went down."

The two army officers exchanged heavy looks, this was getting tiresome. They felt like they were chasing their tails.

"Hey, I found something." Leah voice interrupted the silent searching holding up an unburned file from the desk she had been searching through. "Looks like he never got the chance to burn it." Sweeping some shredded documents off the desk top she set the folder down and flipped it open.

Everyone moved closer to get a better look but it was Spike who spoke first.

"A thumb drive?" he asked his voice incredulous, looking up at his team mates. "That would be why he didn't burn it, blue prints for a thumb drive hardly qualify as top secret information."

"So why would he have them?" Jules piqued up across the table picking up more sheets from the file folder to look over them. "These are a bunch of receipts, this ones for a bunch of power tools… he's also got a bill here for the rental of an excavator?" Brown eyes spoke volumes for her confusion. "What was this guy doing?"

"Beats me, but whatever he's dipped into it probably can't be good." Leah agreed going back to the drawer to see if she could find anything else.

"As if it ever is." Kate added leaning down to help the other woman brushing away the very last of the burning papers.

Silence was just about to settle around the room when it was broken by Wordy.

"Do you guys hear that?" the father asked looking away from the folder in front of him and leaning back from the desk.

The group of officers paused looking up.

"I don't hear anything." Kate stated looking at him like he had lost his mind.

Bryce shook his head. "No I hear it too." he frowned as the low beat slowly got closer and closer, the sound of heavy rotor blades cutting through the wind towards them shaking the glass in the building. "Sounds like a…"

XxX

"Get Down!"

Rob's shout was drowned out by the roar of a large black helicopter flying so low it was almost directly over their heads. His arms snatched out grabbing the back of Greg's vest, pulling him back from the ledge as Ed leapt to his feet, rifle in hand.

Above them the aircraft turn right back around and it was only due to it low altitude that Ed even saw the muzzle of a large bore semi automatic rifle pop out the side of the open door.

"INSIDE NOW!"

His voice was drowned out by the spray of bullets into the rooftop where they were standing.

* * *

I have no sweet clue where the helicopter came from. *faceplams* One more chapter and an eulogy-err I mean… Epilogue… Wahooo!


	9. Ending

*Hyperventilates.*

*posts*

*Runs away and hides*

* * *

"ED!"

Several shouts sounded across the room as they watched out the window, the black helicopter spinning around, bullets drowning out the sound of its blades and the sound of cement exploding with impact.

Horrified looks were plastered on Team Ones faces as they pressed themselves against the glass to see if there was any sign of their friends beyond the dust.

Dread welled up in their stomachs as the helicopter lifted back up blowing some of the debris away as it did so, letting them glimpse the destroyed sight that had once been the top of the building Ed, Greg and Rob had been on.

"Oh god." Jules clapped a hand over her mouth as in her ear static came from the comm.

"Holy Hell…" Kate whispered her experienced eyes wide. Being familiar with these kinds of sights didn't make it any easier to see…

Jules ripped her eyes away from the scene in front of them, looking up at Sam who was braced against the window directly behind her so he could look out over her head. There were no words between them. There didn't have to be. Each knew what the other was thinking and without a pause they whipped around and raced for the door.

It wasn't even a second later that Spike, looking grim and determined, and Sietl, who was already unlocking the safety on the rifle he had stolen from a guard, were following behind them.

The army woman with them spun on her heel, "GUYS! The helicopters still out-" she had meant to run to stop them, but her boot caught the last of a burning militia folder and she slipped to the ground.

A pair of gloved hands gripped her under the arms and Kate felt Wordy and Leah pulling her to her feet. She looked up into two burning gazes. "It's way to dangerous." Kate started again. "I may want to catch Cattan, but not with that chopper out there!"

Wordy shook his head already stepping away with Leah after their team mates. "They just made this personal."

"And you never want to do that." Leah added and Kate had no choice but to race after them as they disappeared into the hallway.

XxX

Ed groaned as he sat up, dust falling off his back and pieces of mortar digging into his palms as he moved. Blinking to try and clear his vision he quickly stopped and looked around for his friend. "Greg?"

A hiss to his left told him that the other balm man was still alive. In the dim light Ed managed to make his way over to the other dust covered officer. Un-amused brown eyes looked up at him; the body attached to them was relatively unscathed except for a few scratches and soon to be bruises. He could only imagine he looked similar, but the Team Leader sighed in relief that they hadn't broken anything. "Sam's going to have a lot to answer for later on."

Greg nodded sharply, wincing as the movement hurt. Slight concussion Ed surmised. "That's why I don't like things that fly."

Ed snorted helping Greg to his feet, keeping their shoulders hunched so they wouldn't hit their heads. Digging out their mini flashlights both SRU officers scanned the area looking for the other person that had been with them.

"There." Greg stated moving quickly over to the army man in what had once been a red shirt. As fast and as safely as he could they checked the unconscious man over and seeing nothing that bled too bad they flipped him over onto his back, rousing him as they did.

Rob groaned, grey eyes looking up at two unfamiliar faces as memories flooded back to him. "God-damn, sonofabitch…" he growled lifting a bloodied hand to his head as it throbbed. "…hate helicopters."

The lead negotiator sent Ed a smug look before turning back to Rob. "Glad you made it." He chuckled.

The army captain nodded looking around at the destroyed level around them muttering something about 'loving certain concrete walls and cheap bastard with weapons.' He looked up at Ed. "Your rifle?"

Ed nodded clapping Greg on the shoulder. "I'll go find it, see if you can get a hold of the others on the radio."

"On that thought," Rob squinted trying to see around him. "Where did mine go?"

XxX

Spike was the first one to the door as he grabbed the handle, waiting for everyone to catch up. "Ready?" he glanced up at Sam who had his gun raised and ready.

The blonde nodded "Go." With that Spike swung the door open as Sam, Jules and Sietl spilled out onto the roof their shoes crunching into the fresh snow.

Cattan, with a smirk on his face, stood next the edge of the building watching the men and woman as they surrounded him. "I must say I'm surprised, disappointed too that it took you so long to find me." He stated calmly, despite the guns pointed at him, his breath coming out in little white puffs from the cold.

Sam narrowed his eyes, raising his gun level with Cattan's heart. "Enough of the games; it's over Cattan."

"Is it?" the old man laughed taking a step backwards, closer to the ledge. "I think I have one card yet to play."

Matching his steps the blonde sniper shifted closer to his target his team mates lingering behind covering his back. Those steps forward were retracted however as the helicopter suddenly drew up between the building it had just destroyed and the one they were standing on. Wind whipped by them, tossing their jackets open and causing snow to kick up blinding them as it melted onto their eyes. The heavy roar of the blades drowned out the surprised shouts from the officers.

Clenching his teeth Sam threw an arm over his eyes to try and keep them open, but the biting cold had them watering regardless. Lifting his Glock up the blonde shot off a few warning shots, two of them managing to hit the helicopter harmlessly.

But it seemed someone else had gotten his plan as behind him, calm as could be, the snow not affecting him at all, Sietl lifted the rifle he had stolen from one of the guards and aimed directly at the windshield of the bird behind Cattan. Armour piecing rounds cut through the glass, ending the co-pilots life in seconds, disabling the pilots left arm and putting too many holes to be safe in the metal body. Pulling the helicopter upwards the pilot turned the large black helicopter around, gas leaking and engine smoking, moving away from its targeted pick up at top speed.

Old eyes whipped around, anger flared as his escape plan flew away. He met Bryce's eyes and if looks could kill… but the brown haired man just grinned heaving his weapon up once more and aiming it directly at Cattan's eyes. The wind died down as the helicopter disappeared and out the corner of his eye Sam saw Bryce shoot him a smug look.

The blonde just turned back to Hamir, Sietl was too much like Kate to be comfortable with. "There's no way out Cattan, just hand it over."

Hamir cocked his head to the side his face not betraying his newly found fear as he inched backwards. "Hand what over?"

"Whatever it was that you stole this time that sent the Army after you practically baying for blood." Sam replied feeling Jules creep up closer to his flank.

Old eyes darkened, his feet coming to a stop. "You do not know, do you boy?" When silence met his question Cattan threw his head back in laughter, the sound reverberating all around the rooftop.

"This guy's insane." Jules muttered under her breath, beside her Spike nodded as he too inched forward, slowly, as so not to scare the subject least he jump early.

Suddenly behind them the door swung open again as Leah, Wordy and Kate spilled out to join their team mates. Cattan's laughter turned to a sneer as he noticed them. Turning away from the newcomers he set his sight back on Sam. "You know it is a shame I missed you out in the desert."

"Oh no you didn't," The blonde smirked clapping his left hand over his blood soaked jacket that hid the burns on his arm. "I got the present you left in the Jeep."

"Oh good," the older man clapping his hands together, "I would have disliked for that bomb to go to waste."

Jules hissed under her breath, so that was what had happened to Sam's arm, the pieces from earlier falling into place. He must have pulled the two wounded men from the airport out of the car after it exploded. A sense of pride and well deserved anger welled up in her chest.

"So, at long last… it seems you have finally captured me." Cattan smirked glancing around at the faces he didn't know before raising an eyebrow at Kate and her uniform then coming back to Sam. "Congratulations."

Sam growled low in his throat, he didn't like this. "That's not exactly something to be smiling about."

The war criminal just crossed his arms. "I am not smiling about being captured. I will admit it throws quite the… what is the phrase you use? A wrench into my future plans. But that is not why I am smiling. I am smiling because I have something you do not."

"And what would that be oh wise-ass?" Kate snapped flicking the safety off on her gun more then ready to just put a bullet between his eyes and call it a day, but it was Sam's call here.

"Information." Hamir replied. "Certain… facts, about my employer."

The two army officers perked up. "Are you telling us that you'd give us information on Chiwa if we let you live?" Sam asked incredulously.

"I don't believe that." Kate growled.

"As you shouldn't; I would never betray her like that." The elder man chuckled, having nothing left to lose made it almost fun to pull the pigtails of the people who had chased him out of his home in the desert. "But information that I do not mind sharing is what we were after."

XxX

Static sounded from a far corner of the collapsed room and Rob felt his ears perk up at the distorted voice that could be heard in segments through the noise. Ignoring the pain it caused the white haired man scrambled to his feet and followed the sound. Fumbling in the dark Rob pushed a particularly large cement piece with steel rods stuck in it, out of the way revealing a very dinged up sat-radio. Turning the knobs the voice started coming in clearer.

"…R-Ryans-hear-an…spolision…R-Rob? C-can you hea-e?"

"Major sir?" Rob tried as Ed came over, his newfound rifle in hand as he came to stop next to Greg.

The fuzziness didn't go away but it did lessen some. "Ryans! A-are you alright? We heard an expl…on and you stopped –sponding."

"We're all okay…but Cattan had a helicopter waiting on him sir,"

"We know, I sen- half of our de-tachment after it…secure it when it l-lands."

"What's your ETA? Have you eyes on Cattan sir?"

A pause. "ETA-two minutes… negative on Cattan… -ts your situation?"

Rob looked over at Ed and Greg, thinking to himself. "Status of target is unclear, I haven't been able to make contact with Braddock or Wagner…Sir, I have two SRU officers currently with me, Team Leader Ed Lane and their Sergeant Gregory Parker."

"Ryans… are they willing t-to help?"

Grey eyes turned to the two men behind him. "Well?"

Ed and Greg exchanged a final look before silently agreeing. This had gone on long enough and they nodded in unison. "You've got a Scorpio Ed."

The army officer smirked up at them. "Awesome." He muttered then turned back to the radio. "Sir, we may have a solution, we're going to try and set up a sniper post. We'll contact you soon, over and Out."

"Copy that, over and out."

The radio cut out and Rob attached it to his belt looking up at the SRU duo. "Lets try and find a way out of this crap hole."

Greg and Ed nodded in agreement.

XxX

Sam and Kate exchanged quick glances before the blonde looked over his shoulder at the other members of Team One. "Well, spill it then. Maybe we'll make your death a painless one if you make it worth our while."

"Well, when you put it like that, I must oblige." Cattan smirked as he reached into his pocket pulling out the small device Ali had handed to him. "Look familiar?"

Had she not been standing so close Jules wouldn't have heard the sharp inhale of breath Sam took and she wouldn't have had seen him tense the way he did. Giving him a confused glance out of the corner of her eyes the woman sniper saw the same look of confusion reflected in Kate's eyes. She didn't know what it was either it seemed.

"Is that supposed to scare us or something?" Bryce snapped getting sick of the older man jerking them around.

"Scare you?" Hamir laughed throatily. "No son, its not, but it will however be enough to stop you until I get what I want."

As if on cue Sam lowered his gun, not completely but it was no longer pointed at the criminal's brainstem. Wide blue eyes were watching, unlabeled emotions swirling behind pain and weariness.

"Braddock?" Kate stated her voice incredulously and everyone else turned to watch the blonde sniper.

"How did you find that?" Sam voice was like a whisper, quiet with shock. His white knuckled grip on his gun didn't lessen.

Cattan shrugged easily. "I did a bit of research… you'd be surprised what you can _**dig**_ up."

In the distance sirens got closer and closer and they were clear now to everyone on the roof. Dust had started to settle on the adjacent building where Ed and Greg had been, but on theirs, no one moved.

"It seems now we are at an impasse. It is your move Young Braddock."

XxX

Ed inhaled slowly looking down his scope. It had taken them more time then they had wanted in order to find an opening in the collapsed roof that they could climb out of, but they had managed it all the same. Now, Greg stood to Ed's back helping keep Rob upright on the uneven surface with a newly tested ankle he had gotten when he slipped on a slick piece of roofing. The Team Leader could see Cattan on the edge of the building and looked over at the other two. "Think he's going to jump."

"No, he won't. He's too much of a coward." Rob glanced down at Ed and away from Greg's comm he had in his hands that he had been fixing. "Get ready." He grabbed his own radio and flicked it on. "Major Howlett sir, we have Hamir Cattan in our sights sir."

"No hesitation. Just take him out!" Howlett shouted into his radio.

Rob let his eyes slipped closed for a moment before he opened his gray eyes and turned them onto the kneeling Ed. "Do it."

Greg grimaced as Ed bent his head; lined up his shot perfectly and with bated breath, watched his friend pull the trigger.

"Hold." Sam stated, voice hard.

Behind him Sietl's eyes flashed. "You've got to be kidding me! If you're too chicken to follow out on your kill order get the hell back then!"

In that moment three things happened as if in a domino effect, Sietl jumped forward gun raised, causing Hamir to shift backwards throwing his balance on the ledge into jeopardy, and somewhere in the distance, a shot was fired.

Team One watched as a shocked look crossed over Cattan's face, a red spot blossoming against the white robe he wore as all the breath left his body, His soft 'oh' lost to the winter wind as a breeze picked up, knocking the dead man off his feet and off the edge of the building.

Sam's mouth hung open the terrorist fell out of his sight and moments later felt a twist in his stomach as a horrible crunching noise followed by a sickening splatter sound was heard coming from the pavement. _That was not good._

Next to him Jules felt ill, her mind milling around a flurry of thoughts before landing on a single one. "What was-" But her hoarse question was cut off as the radio static sounded in her ear and Ed's voice came across the airways.

"Subject down…everyone alright? Jules, Spike, Wordy?"

Spike and Wordy drew their eyes away from the ledge, strained grins on their faces as their team leader made his reappearance. For a moment there, they had been so focused on their target, they had been too wrapped up in worry after the helicopter shot at their perch to really remember who Ed was, and they had momentarily forgotten no one would take him down with out one hell of a fight.

"Good to hear you Eddie." Wordy smiled lowering his weapon as no one else spoke up. "Boss still with you?"

"We're all present and accounted for Wordy. Even Mr. Ryans here." Came Greg's voice, calm and reassuring but if you listened well enough, you could hear the relief in it.

"Glad you guys made it." Spike added holstering his own gun as he moved over to Jules managing to see the other brunette crack a smile at the voices.

Left out of the happy reunion without a radio, Sam stepped forward so he could glance over the edge of the building and down to the disgustingly colourful display on the pavement below. Keeping the bile threatening to rise in the back of his throat down he tore his eyes away from Hamir's dead form to the black dot of a sniper perched on the building across from them, barely visible at their far away distance and through the still unsettled dust.

Sirens were dead close now as several large black SUV's and dark green hummers pulled into the alleyway, officers with guns spilling out ready for any imminent threat.

"Oh look who finally decided to arrive." Kate muttered on his left peering down at the easily recognizable form of their boss. "I'm going to get an earful I bet you."

"I hope you do." Sam sighed turning on his heel.

Sietl looked over Kate's shoulder and down at the sea of newcomers. "Is that the Calvary you were talking about?" he winced as his gaze flickered over the red strewn on the pavement. "Gross."

The army woman smirked. "That it would be."

"A lot of good it did us too," Sam's replacement muttered and next to him Spike and Wordy just exchanged eye rolls, glad that the entire thing was over with… even if things had ended less then spectacular. Neither of them wanting to look over the edge like the army officers had.

"Let's just get down there." The blonde sniper stated starting towards the staircase they had come up. His pace was quick, knowing he had to get to Cattan's body before the newly arrived officers could search the remains.

XxX

"Nice timing Major, as always." Kate muttered as they exited the building seeing the older man standing a few feet away waiting for them. "Just in time for the celebration."

The Major didn't seem impressed and instead looked up at the majority of Team One behind her. "Wagner, you and I need to have a discussion on who is acceptable to bring on top secret mission's." quoting Sam's statement from earlier.

The brown haired woman scoffed missing the vein throbbing in the older mans neck. "You were the one who gave me orders to go see what information they had and to get their help-"

Howlett raised a hand cutting her off. "I don't care what I said. Go."

Kate blinked. "Where?"

"Anywhere." He muttered pointing further down the alleyway. "As long as it's not around me." The woman just huffed, blowing a stray hair out of her face before moving over towards the other officers.

During their little 'heartfelt' exchange, one Sam had readily ignored, the blonde sniper managed to slip over to the broken body of Hamir Cattan. He waved at the enlisted coroner to wait as he stepped around various pools of blood. Carefully he reached for the spindly hand still wrapped in a tight fist. Counting his blessings that most of the hand was still in tact, Sam pried Cattan's fingers open and swiftly removed the small, unbroken, piece of black plastic from the dead mans grasp and into slipped his own pocket.

"Wow that was a decent shot, even if you can't tell between all the broken bones."

Sam looked up at Rob and frowned, his heart settling back into a normal rhythm, for a moment had thought the Major had been behind him. "Well, Ed Lane is the best." Blue eyes sought out the Team leader who, along with Greg, had met up with the rest of Team One and where standing a few feet away from them talking with Howlett. Both of them were covered in dust and a few scrapes on their skin; they matched the ones Rob had.

"Yeah, you weren't kidding."

"I wasn't kidding to Kate either when I said she couldn't steal them. No more involvement from them." Sams voice was sharp and cold as steel.

Rob just raised his hands in surrender, shifting his weight off his bad ankle. "Hey, you won't hear any complaints from me, as long as your team will keep it out of the press I doubt Major Howlett will mind too much either after things settle down-"

The sound of squealing brakes and a slamming car door had the white haired man looking down the alley his face going pale.

"Shit, _**he**_ on the other hand….hewill care." Ryans muttered straightening up his posture as Sam picked himself up off the ground and took a few steps forward, recognizing his fathers larger form coming towards them, flanked by other officers. He couldn't help the feel of dread well up inside him only this time for an entirely different reason.

"General, sir-" Sam tried but stiffened as his fathers palm hit the side of his face knocking his head sideways. The entire group around them froze in shock and Rob felt his nails dig into his palm.

The General glared at the blonde in front of him. "When I give you an order, I expect you to follow it! Because of you we had to take down Cattan on Canadian soil, causing me to have to explain to the Chief of Defence why our original plan failed. Which, if I remember correctly, also failed because of your lack of ability to follow orders wasn't it?"

The sniper remained quiet but it didn't deter the older man in front of him. "Next time, when I give you instructions, I want them followed to the tee, do you understand me? I want no more screw ups from you soldier." Sam nodded sharply and his father stepped back. "I hope you enjoy your paperwork Samuel, This one is all yours. You think you have such a better way of doing things, than you're going to do them on your own."

Blue eyes blazed as the gray haired man turned on his heel walking away, an angry glare was shot in the Generals back by Howlett as the Major fell into place behind him. At the sound of footsteps behind him Sam whipped around putting his good hand on Rob's chest to stop him from going after his superior. "Stay right where you are."

Rob shook his head, anger pouring out of every line on his face. "No way, that bastard just rubbed my last nerve Sam. If he thinks that you're so horrible, why does he keep bringing you back, huh? Just to torture you? Fuck him!"

Sam glared the white haired man who tried to push past him again. Using his sore arm too the sniper held his friend back. "Rob, look, this is nothing new and attacking him will just end up in assault charges against you. Besides this mission is over and we have our orders."

"Damnit Sam, stop defending him!" Rob snapped before he sighed, his shoulders falling a bit. "You keep going like this and one day I'm going to think you might actually care about the old bastard."

The sniper laughed under his breath dropping his hands back to his side. "Stranger things have happened, now go find Kate so we can get this mess cleared up and go home." He shoved the other limping man away from him before turning to walk after the coroner who had taken away the soup that was the dead traders body but Sam stopped short seeing his old team mates looking at him. "Hey, you guys are free to go; this'll be a military investigation, SIU won't be questioning any of your actions, so you don't have to worry about anything."

"Except you apparently." Jules stated coming up to gently touch a hand to the red mark on Sam's cheek. "What in the world did he hit you for?"

Sam shrugged, the feeling of her palm sending a wave of comfort through him making him realize just how bone deep tired he was. "It's just something he does. You get used to it."

"No, YOU get used to it, it pisses everybody else off." A female voice stated from behind him. Turning, Sam smiled at the green eyed blonde standing by his back with her arms crossed.

"Hey Alice," Sam greeted. "You guys are here already?" The woman nodded and reluctantly he pulled away from Jules. "I have to go with them for now, but I'll, um…see you guys later?" Without waiting for their response Sam gave a small wave at the confused group in gray before disappearing with the other blonde who reached out, helping him to walk down the alley despite Sam's protests.

"Well that was fun." Kate muttered breaking the silence.

Spike jumped, letting out a squeak his nerves still raw from the day's events. "Didn't Ryans just go to find you?" he asked placing a hand over his heart.

The other brunette raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. "Did he? Oh well, let him wander around for a bit, It'll show him for letting us do all the hard work." She glanced at Ed. "Nice shot by the way, way to steal all the glory."

The lead sniper just nodded, used to being whisked away by SIU by now, and still a little shaken at having killed a suspected terrorist.

Kate grimaced sympathetically at the group in front of her. She didn't have to be a social genius- because she wasn't- to see the exhaustion, both mental and physical, setting into their frames. "You guys did awesome today; How about I round up a couple of lackeys and get you guys back to your HQ, cleaned up and taken home, sound good?"

It had been posed as a question, but none of them felt the need to answer, merely nod and follow the army woman towards their vehicles.

XxX

"Please, for the love of God, don't yell at me." Sam muttered his eyelids dropping steadily as he let the woman at his side take more and more of his weight.

Alice shook her head. "I won't… yet… Jesus Sam, you really scared me." She whispered manhandling him into a sitting position on the back of the ambulance that had just pulled up.

Out of the corner of her eye the blonde army woman could see Kate ushering Sam's friends away and for a moment met her co-workers gaze throwing her a quick smile.

Kate sent her a quick wink before disappearing into the seat next to Sietl.

The sound of a disgruntled Medical Technician made both blondes turn to their right where Miro was standing with his arms crossed. Before he could open his mouth to say anything Alice cut him off. "Don't bother Miro, he's had a hard day, and I already told him I'd wait to yell at him."

Sam inhaled slowly. "How bout you just don't yell at all?" his eyes slipped closed as he lilted dangerously towards the doorframe of the ambulance aiming to rest his head against the cool metal.

"Sam?" Miro shot forward catching the other mans shoulders to keep him upright, the sniper practically dead in his grasp.

"Sorry… just gonna pass out now. S'been a long ass week." Sam slurred and promptly did as he said he would and passed out, adrenaline that had been keeping him going, gone.

Checking his vitals Miro shook his head when he felt the dulled pulse. "Well I'm surprised he managed to stay awake this long." He turned to Alice. "Help me get him into the stretcher and we'll get him back to the hospital."

"He always did like pushing limits." Alice smiled brushing hair away from Sams closed eyes. "You know I'm kind of disappointed." She added pulling Sams arm over her shoulders to heave him up.

"Why's that?" the medic questioned as they turned the sniper around and laid him out in the back of the ambulance making sure to keep an eye on his pulse rate.

"Because this is the second time I've caught a glimpse of his new girl and I still didn't get the chance to talk to her." The blonde pouted.

Miro shook his head. "You're talking about Jules right?" he sighed. "You'll get your chance don't worry, you know I actually think you'll like her."

Alice just huffed out in annoyance. "Well I'll grill him about her when he wakes up. Hopped up on Morphine he'll spill everything."

XxX

The first thing Wordy did when he got home was drop his bag unceremoniously in the hall.

The sound drew Shelley from the living room, and she raised a fine brow at her husbands' tired form. "Kevin? You're back later then usual." She whispered quietly as she came up in front of him running a soft hand across his cheek and into his hair.

The father let his eyes fall closed at the feel of her touch and it sent a shiver down his spine, almost taking the awful thoughts from his mind. Reaching out he wrapped his strong arms around her waist bringing her in close.

Wordlessly Shelley smiled, wrapping her own arms around his shoulders, kissing the side of his head when he set it against her shoulder. She understood the silence, the words unspoken. _Long day_, _I love you_, _Bad day_, _please don't let go_, _**BAD**__ day_…

When she rested her head against Wordy's shoulder she caught a glance out the door that her husband hadn't closed behind him, only catching a glimpse of the army greens and the large black SUV pulling out of their drive way.

She felt the fear rise in her throat but she would ask later; when things had settled down, after he had stopped shaking in her hold.

XxX

Ed climbed the stairs towards his bedroom. He had left all the lights off, not wanting to wake anyone up. Wincing at the creak as he opened the door he silently changed into a pair of clean pyjamas and slid into bed. Only instead of curling up on his own side, he slid over next to the woman on the other side and slid an arm around her pulling her flush against him.

Sophie blearily blinked an eye open, sleep doing it's damnest to pull her back into her dreams where she thought she felt Ed climb over to her side like he used to. It took her a few moments to realize the hot breath on the back of her neck actually did belong to her husband and it had her leaning back to glance over her shoulder at him. "Eddie?"

The bald man smiled lightly into her dark hair sensing her confusion. "Morning Soph."

"Iz ever'thin' okay?" she asked trying to wake up a bit more.

"…Just a long, strange day at work today…" he muttered, sleep trying to claim him as well. "I was thinking on the way home… how about tomorrow we go visit your folks? Clark can take the day off school, I'll call in and we can surprise them."

The caterer was awake now. Something was defiantly wrong. Getting up on her elbows Ed's arm still around her stomach Sophie looked at him through narrowed eyes. "What's gotten into you, you never want to take time off work."

Ed voice was tired; he had finally managed to get rid of the image of Cattan's body splayed out where it had fallen to the pavement and he had stopped thinking hwo extremely lucky he had been not to have been crushed under a cement roof. "Changed my mind."

Sophie opened her mouth to retort but snapped it shut. She had wanted him to take a day off for god knows how long, and now that he suggested it… HE suggested it… taking her elbows out from underneath her she plopped back onto the pillows. Grabbing Ed's arm she pulled it around her a bit tighter and burrowed her way back into his chest tugging the blankets around them, content for the first time in a while.

Jules twisted in the uncomfortable hospital chair, trying to rearrange herself so no limbs would fall asleep on the hard plastic. She had been here for the past six hours waiting for any change in the sleeping Sam. The person, the military Medic, Miro had told her that he had knocked him out with a mild sedative, useful for people like Sam who had had so little sleep in the past week to get some much needed rest. He had also told her he wouldn't be awake for the next six to seven hours and she cursed herself for coming in as early as she did.

But what else could she do? It had been a spilt seconds decision she already knew she'd make. As soon as Kate had dropped her off at home the female sniper had jumped in the shower, changed into clean cloths and managed to get Kira to find out which hospital Sam had been brought to as she scarfed down day old food from her fridge.

That was how she found herself sitting by an occupied beside, next to a much too pale Sam. The hospital blanket had been set around his stomach showing off the new stitching job that had to be done to close his wound up once more. New bruises lay on top of old ones and Jules winced at the obvious boot imprint clear against what looked to be the burn outlined of a door handle.

She was going to kill him… after he was better. Reaching out Jules took up Sams hand in hers and ran her thumb over the new scars and calluses on his skin that hadn't been there eight months ago. It was hard to believe that he had just gotten back yesterday morning. So much had happened since then… Her hand tightened around his and Jules just shook her head, leaning back to wait.

* * *

Well, just the one chapter to go now. Hope you liked it…even if it was a bit (read: a lot) inconsistent in places. I try for epic, most times it just comes out corny and silly but to everyone who reviewed so far, my deepest thanks.


	10. Staying

Everyone, wow… for those of you still here, and for those who have kept giving me a steady stream of favourites, Alerts and reviews, I can't thank you enough. This chapter goes out to every single one of you. It's very rare that I finish stories, as you're likely very aware of at this point, but I just can't deal with feeling like I let you down. Which I undoubtedly did by making you wait so long.

So, Thank you, enjoy, and I'm sadly going to go post this, the epilogue and watch the next episode of Numb3rs.

Disclaimer: I don't own Flashpoint, haven't owned it since I started this thing.

She had just gone to get herself a coffee, and was on her way back when Jules ears perked up at the sound of a loud voice. Without being seen the sniper woman stood back in the doorway of Sam's hospital room to watch the blonde from earlier yell at the rooms patient.

"I hear that you get attacked in a car bombing, defy orders to get your target, instead getting shot at as you try and rescue Owen and Reggie from the fire, come home, disappear for the night and then when we finally do find you-you're torturing yourself emotionally at your old job, then when you do get your orders, ignore all common sense and take off after him yourself even through there's just the two of you and maybe he could have rigged the entire building to blow up! What if that place had been crawling with his men huh? You and Rob wouldn't have stood a chance! Christ, and then you go and get your old unit leader to kill him instead of one of us! Do you know how much paperwork that's going to be? And he died before we got any information on Chiwa! Years we've been after this guy, finally finding him and then he goes and dies before we can get anything of use out of him! Not to mention that his entire body is actual human soup down in the morgue so its not like we can't even use it for anything probative." Alice paused to take a breath and that was when Sam found his chance to interject.

The man in the bed raised an eyebrow looking up at his old friend who was still in her army dress uniform. "Just so we're clear, the last part of that rant about paperwork wasn't aimed at me right?"

The blonde woman growled under her breath, fists clenched in front of her. "My point is Sam, stop doing stupid shit!" she seethed nails digging into her palm. "Or do you want me to have to call your mom?"

Sam's head jerked up, his body protesting the movement. "You wouldn't dare." Two sets of light coloured eyes fought a silent battle and neither moved even Jules walked a bit further into the room.

"Uh…is everything okay?" Jules asked looking back and forth between the two blondes, her instincts telling her to negotiate a truce before WW3 broke out.

"Everything's fine." Sam grit out a response still not looking in her direction. "Say you won't." The command was directed towards Alice.

"Promise me you'll stop then." The army woman crossed her arms standing her ground.

The male sniper huffed. "Fine; I promise." Sams gaze narrowed. "But you can't call her."

Alice nodded a smile breaking out on her face as she reached out to slap Sam's shoulder. "I won't, even I'm not that mean dumb ass." She turned to Jules and smiled letting the shorter woman get a good look at her. It was the same officer that had escorted Sam away three days ago. "So you're Jules eh?" she brushed a strand of blond hair back behind her ear as she looked over the female sniper. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, I'm-" her words were cut off as the cell phone attached to her green skirt went off. "Oh you've got to be kidding me." She rolled her eyes looking at the caller ID.

"You should go." Sam smirked from the bed as Jules came up on his other side.

The other blonde glared at him but nodded, saying her goodbyes as she stormed out of the room heels clacking down the hall.

There was silence for a moment as Jules looked back at Sam seeing the adoring look he was giving her. "Is that J-ello?" he asked pointing to the bag in her hand.

Brown eyes crinkled with a smile. "Yes, it is… who was that?" Jules nodded towards the door as Sam reached over and snagged a blue j-ello from her.

"An old friend." The sniper replied looking around the room for a spoon. "Did you bring any-" he paused as Jules shoved a plastic spoon under his nose.

"Sounded like she gave you the reaming I wanted too." She smirked at Sam's fake innocent look.

"Why would you ever want to yell at me for?" he asked sweetly leaning forward to place a quick kiss on the side of her cheek. Jules swatted at him playfully before she reached over poking one of his new bruises.

"Oh, I have a good reason or two." She muttered as Sam hissed in pain through a mouthful of J-ello.

XxX

A knock came from the closed door of his office and the General behind the desk looked up, already knowing who it was. "Enter Corporal Wagner." Icy blue eyes met challenging hazel.

"Sir, thank you for seeing me so late." Kate stated formally saluting with her wrong hand.

General Braddock nodded. "I know why you're here, to make good on our… agreement?"

The woman nodded, not saying a word.

Silence fell for a moment, the only sound in the room, the low hum of the laptop open on the desk. "Our agreement…" he repeated.

"That Sam is released from reactivation upon the immediate death of the war criminal Hamir Cattan." Kate stated, reminding him. "The man is dead sir."

The older man nodded firmly. "That he is Corporal…however you must see my position on this Wagner, Samuel is one of my best officers, despite his 'screw-ups', numerous as they are," He sighed looking the woman dead in the eye as he leaned back in his chair. "You know very well I only made that deal with you to have you get out of my office."

Kate grimaced, inwardly she knew it had been a long shot when she had made the agreement with him a few days prior, back when she had first heard that Sam, Rob and Miro would be returning with out having killed Cattan in the dessert. "Sir, if I may speak freely?"

A moment's pause, but the older Braddock nodded his consent.

"Are you not a man of your word sir?" At a raised eyebrow Kate continued before Sams' father had the chance to interrupt and fire her. "I made that compromise with the thought you had the good graces to see your part of the deal through to the end. Braddock was supposed to be only conscripted for the short duration of this mission."

Two sets of eyes were trained on each other, neither one of them willing to back down, both too stubborn to give in.

"And why should I let him leave? I've trained him since he was born to be an elite soldier, he isn't so easily replaced." The General stated but Kate just smiled.

Digging in her pocket she pulled out a small dossier and handed it to the older man. "But sir, I believe he can be…and I may have found a suitable replacement already."

Braddock Senior raised an eyebrow, waiting a moment to take the paper just out of spite. When he did his blue eyes scanned the paper quickly before he re-read it, this time taking in the details. "Hm…"

Kate tried her very hardest to contain her smug grin.

XxX

Five days later found Sam looking up at the glass windows of the SRU before he turned to Kate who was watching the snow come down from the drivers seat of her trusty red truck. Both of them had bundled up against the newly falling snow, neither one really wanting to go out into the cold weather. "So…" The blonde sniper started rubbing his hands together, for the first time in a while, not feeling the dull ache in his arm, the burns mostly healed and the stitches all pulled closed. "Any particular reason you decided to drag me out of my nice warm bed to sit outside in your truck in the dead of winter?"

Kate shrugged sitting on her only hand as her breath fogged up the front window. She had traded out her army greens for her regular dark jeans and black jacket… the same outfit she had worn the first time she had met the SRU, Sam recalled. "Just thought we could pop in for a visit," She replied with a small smile.

"So how come we're not 'popping in'?"

Again the one armed woman shrugged…she knew why… she wanted to spend more time with Sam while she could. With a sigh Kate turned hazel eyes onto Sam. "You really liked being in there didn't you?"

Blue eyes narrowed at the strange question but nodded regardless. "Of course I liked it there. It's a good place to be…mostly because it's warmer then where we're currently sitting inside your truck."

A light laugh echoed in the cab as Kate looked away from her old team mate. "When you were out in the desert for those eight months, Rob and Miro said that this place and these people were all you could talk about…Jules especially." Her tone was a bit bitter.

Then Sam understood. "Well yeah, they're my friends. Just like you guys are. I talked to Spike and Jules about you and Rob just as much when I was with them. So don't worry Kate, I wasn't forgetting you guys, I plan on keeping both teams in my life, even when I'm back out in the dessert with the JTF-2."

Kate felt her heart unclench a little inside her chest, good, it was good that he said that. Knowing that he had always kept a thought about his old unit made it a bit easier for the army woman to build up the courage to carry out her plan. "Good, now lets get inside before I lose my other arm to hypothermia…flipping Canada and it's winters."

The blonde just laughed throwing open the truck door as they raced inside and out of the snow.

The two made it inside in record time with limited amount of snow getting down their collars. Greg and Ed who were leaning on the desk in front of Kira both smiled as they made their way into the foyer. "Well look who's on his feet." Greg chuckled extending his hand.

Sam nodded taking Parkers hand in his own pulling his friend into a quick hug before doing the same with Ed. "And not soon enough, if I spend any more time in bed I think I'll forget how to function."

"I remember a certain contradictory statement a few days ago where you said you could sleep for the rest of your life." Kate piqued up.

Ed just gave the woman a flat look, "And I suppose you're here to cause more trouble are you?"

The blonde sniper snorted under his breath at the indignant look on his friends face. Ed had a point though, every time she showed up something bad happened.

"Funny." The army woman rolled her eyes, sticking her hand into her back pocket petulantly.

"What's funny?" Jules asked looking up as she came out of the conference room a stack of files in hand.

Sam smiled at her, "Ed was taking note that trouble seems to follow Kate, and I'll agree with that by saying that it usually ends up evolving everyone around her." The brunette to his side opened her mouth to reply but Sam just looked down at her. "I'm remembering a certain incident with a goat."

Kate snapped her jaw shut, "You're such a jerk," she muttered before looking at Jules anxiously. "The goat had it coming… but on the thought of that goat, will you show me where the bathrooms are… I must be getting old because the cold is making me have to pee." She whined.

The other brunette just raised an eyebrow. "Sure, they're over this way." Jules motioned for Kate to follow her down the hallway hearing Ed's relieved sigh to their backs.

Sam watched as the two disappeared from view apprehensively, she was acting normally but something was going on with Kate… he just didn't quiet know what it was. However the blonde was pulled away from the thought as Greg started speaking again.

XxX

"Hey, now that I have you alone, could I talk to you for a bit?" Kate asked stopping outside the bathroom door, grabbing hold of Jules hand before she could leave.

"Oh, sure. What's up?" The female sniper raised an eyebrow at the normally confident Kate who was now gazing at the floor.

"Do you like Sam?"

Jules was taken aback by the abrupt question. "Excuse me?"

Kate rolled her eyes finally looking up into Jules gaze. "Do you like Sam? Romantically? At all, I mean even just a smidgen?"

"Of course I do." Chocolate eyes flashed in annoyance pulling her hand away from Kates. "I like him. A lot!" she seethed.

"You know his plan of not staying is because of you." Kate's voice was low but Jules felt it hit her hard none the less.

"Excuse me?"

"Remember last time we met, how I was really, really, reallllly angry at you?"

Both brunettes grimaced and Jules nodded. "Yeah, Sam said you were just looking out for him-"

Kate nodded. "I was.. . I am… that's why despite the fact I don't like you for dumping him… I have to tell you anyways. I blame Lee, spent too much time with her, she rubbed off on me. My sister was always meddling in other peoples business, couldn't stand to hate somebody for anything, always trying to do right by people-"

"Kate?" Jules cut in, derailing the shorter woman out of her rant.

"Right, sorry… Anyways, Sam told me he thought it out beforehand; the reason you two broke up the first time was because there's a rule you can't date on the same team. So Sam, being the genius he is, thought to remove himself from the team. This fact in its self is confusing as hell because he once told me he didn't even want to switch teams and now it's a whole other ballgame- But I'm digressing again. His plan is to stay in the forces like his father wanted him too, and that way the two of you could be together."

"B-but…" The female sniper felt her mouth open and close a few times, realizing she must look like a fish out of water, but not caring. Her mind raced with thoughts of Sam's plan. It was endearing, and clever, it would work, they could be together and it was so very… "Wrong."

"Hm?"

Jules clenched her fist by her side. "That's a stupid plan!" she snapped surprising Kate. "Trust the smart-ass Sam Braddock to come up with a plan like that!"

"So you don't want to be with him?" Kate asked quietly but jumped as Jules whipped around to snap in her face.

"Of course I do! I love him! But the last thing I want to see is him getting up and going back out into that dessert. I've seen him when he comes out of there; he looks like the friggen world has been dropped on his back!" Jules growled, just thinking about it made her blood boil. "I'd rather have him here. Where I know he's safe and doing what he loves. That day a little while ago, when we were chasing down that terrorist, it was like I was looking at a different Sam. He took out the people in that building without even batting an eyelash. If that's what he's going to keep being if he stays in the Special Forces then..." Jules voice caught in her throat. "Kate… he's… he-"

"Scared you?" Kate finished for her, reaching out the one armed woman set her hand on Jules's shoulder. "He is scary, he's a dangerous person to be around and he's very good at getting results when he gets into mission mode… but that's the Sam that we know… that's how we love him; but when we saw him again for the first time in ages eight months ago, we didn't know who we were looking at." A sad smile slipped onto her face and the SRU officer had the good graces not to mention it. "He was happy, relaxed…carefree like we hadn't seen him be since before our first mission together. Towards the end of our time together we had forgotten what it was like to see him smile." Hazel eyes bore into Chocolate and Kate shook her head.

"And boy, when he talked about you…his face lit up like a Christmas tree. He loves you. Loves you a lot, because the dessert is the last place he wants to be, but if it means he can have you, he'll suck it up." Kate muttered. "So now you have a choice to make, do you risk it and tell him to stay, he'll think you just want him back on the team so the two of you can stay as friends and that'll be worse torture for him than leaving him in the hands of the Taliban for a week…or you can let him leave, let him leave and become a real Special forces officer once again. One that will get the job done no matter the cost and become someone you can't stand to be around."

Jules mulled the thought over in her head. She really only had one option. There was only one she really wanted to pick. With a hiss in her voice she looked at the other woman. "Just shut up and go to the bathroom."

With that the female SRU officer whipped around heading back towards the conference room and Sam.

Kate just shook her head, eyes rolling to look at the ceiling. "Some people just have to do all the work don't they sis?" Shoving her hand into her pocket the army woman turned to go into the bathroom; only she paused and switched her destination as a familiar form caught her eye. Kate stuck her head into the men's locker room seeing Bryce Sietl standing in front of his locker. "Hey, talked to my boss, so pack your things up and lets boogie." The army woman didn't even bother waiting for a response before turning around and walking after Jules. As much as she knew she shouldn't watch this… she wouldn't miss it for the world.

And apparently neither would Spike, Wordy and Leah as she came to a stop behind them, crouching down next to Leah to watch Jules march right up to Sam, her finger poking him sternly in the chest. "Wish we could hear what they're saying."

Spike grinned mischievously and twisted around so Kate could see the small parabolic dish in his hand and the leads to the head sets in each of their ears. "We're professional nosey people, think we didn't come prepared?"

The army woman just leaned over and pressed her ear to Leah's to listen but only managed to catch every other word. "Damn it, I can barely hear it."

"Jules is chewing out Samtastic for apparently some plan or another," Spike frowned at the string of creative words coming from his headset in Jules seething voice.

Lean nodded with a wince, "And Sam is trying to calm her down…lots of mush,"

Kate made a face just as Spike groaned. Looking up at her friend she cocked her head to the side, "What, what did they say?"

Wordy shook his head, "Nothing, we can't hear it, they're speaking to low for this particular dish to pick up," he sighed dejectedly. Apparently his love of soap operas translated into real life and not just the movies.

"Wait, I think I just heard Sam say 'I love you'," Spike whispered excitedly almost hopping up and down. Years of listening to crappy audio feed paying off as he heard what the others couldn't pick up. "I think Jules might be saying it-"

"What are you all doing?" Bryce's voice made the group jump, the parabolic dish slipping from Spikes surprised grasp to land on the hard tiles with a resounding crack.

Three members of Team One cried out as the crash was multiplied in there ears at an uncomfortably high volume. Their cries drew the attention of Sam and Jules in the next room, along with Ed and Greg who had been returning from the adjoining hallway.

The Techie groaned slipping the headphones off his ears and picked up the now useless machine.

"What's going on?" Greg asked eyeing the broken equipment with apprehension. "How did you break the dish?"

Spike sighed dejectedly at the confession being cut off but looked over his shoulder at Bryce, "He startled me, I dropped it."

"Why did you have it out in the first place?" Ed used his patented 'do I even want to know' voice.

Spike opened his mouth for a moment before he caught sight of Jules and Sam, the duo glaring daggers at the group that had been eavesdropping on them.

Wordy, knowing Spikes inability to lie jumped to his team mates' defence. "We were just showing Kate some of our toys." He replied.

The two team leaders gave him disbelieving looks but agreed silently that in some cases it was better to not ask. It was only then that Greg seemed to take notice of Bryce's civilian clothes. "You just getting in?"

The newest rookie shook his head looking at Kate, "Just leaving."

Team one turned to the brunette who was scratching the back of her head trying to look innocent and failing miserably. "I kind of made a bet with Sietl and now I'm making good on it," she stated lowering her hand to dig into her back pocket. The army woman handed Greg one sheet and another to Sam giving her friend a smirk. "Now you can never say I don't do anything nice for you."

"I've never said that," Sam chuckled unfolding his paper before he froze in shock.

Greg meanwhile was having much the same reaction as he read over the declaration of transfer in his hand. And that's what it was, not a request, just a simple stated fact that Bryce would apparently be leaving their ranks.

"It's like the sheet of paper they give you informing you of a prisoner swap," Kate chuckled for the benefit of the others who couldn't see. "Sam wants to be here, Sietl wants to be in the military, we'll just be switching their positions and we can all go home happy." She motioned to the bottom line. "Sergeant Parker just needs to sign the bottom there if he's willing to accept Sam back onto the team, and I'll get to whisk Sietl away with me to an undisclosed location."

The lead negotiator blinked re-reading the form. He looked up at Bryce and Sam, "Are you two okay with this?"

Immediately Sietl nodded, "It's been a pleasure serving with you sir, but this isn't the fit for me." 

Nodding understanding Greg shook hands with the larger man. "Well, I wish you all the best then." He turned to the shocked blonde on his other side. "Sam?"

Blue eyes narrowed and shot up to his friend. "How did you get the General to sign off on this?"

Kate just shrugged and laughed, "That's one of my better kept secrets," she smiled pulling him into a one armed hug, "Best of luck Sparky." When she let him go the army woman could only shake her head at the stupid grin on the snipers face as he shared a quick look with a quietly beaming Jules. Kate looked back at Sietl, "So, you're ready to go? Got everything?"

"But Kate-" Sam started but trailed off as the woman sent him a look and he knew she would have to be leaving as soon as possible, without him. She knew that out in the truck he realized with a start.

"Just remember you promised to think about us. And keep in touch this time alright?" She gave him a light punch to his shoulder before looking at Ed. "Make sure he stays out of trouble."

The bald man snorted. "Without you around I'm sure his incident reports are going to be much shorter."

He was mostly kidding, but Kate took it with a grain of salt and a smirk as she turned for the door. "You guys just stay safe alright." She called after herself with Sietl trailing behind her like an imposing bodyguard.

There was a small moment of stunned silence before Spike threw his arms around Sam's shoulders in a tackle hug forgetting the broken device in his hands. "Yes! We've got our resident Samtastic back!"

Wordy clapped him on the back as well, "That friend of yours is certainly something, Glad to have you back Sam."

Leah gave him a hug as well shooing Spike away. "Welcome back,"

Sam could only stare at the paper Kate had handed him in awe, barely registering the celebratory words around him. The room quieted again as his team mates looked at him partly in relief and the other in amusement. "Huh…"

Greg chuckled, clapping Sams shoulder as Ed looked on happily. "You just got your life back and all you can say is huh?"

The sniper shook his head looking up at his boss before digging in his pocket for his cell phone. "I think I better call my mom… make sure Kate didn't actually run the risk of losing her job by threatening the General."

Around him the first unit of the SRU burst into laughter and Sam smiled as he felt the weight that had been sitting on his shoulders slowly slide off.

XxX

Kate grinned at the man in her passenger seat. "So Byrcie… you ever pull a man hunt on an international wanted Terrorist who is accused of genocide, war-acts, treason, drug-trafficking, destruction of NATO property, murdering Canadian and US ambassadors and is currently residing in the middle of a jungle in Africa?"

The dark haired man grinned and shook his head, "Can't say that I have."

"Good." Kates smirk matched his. "Rule number one: Don't get shot."

XxX

Wow, that was killer to write, sorry, I feel like Kate's a word hog, which is strange because it's a pet peeve of mine that OC's take over my stories… I think I just have a soft spot for her and Sam, weird… should do a drabble of the hell Bryce and Kate get into on missions… haha… oh god, no!


	11. Epilouge

Sam stood alone in the conference room, his gaze floating across the snowy city beyond the window that reflected his grey uniform back at him making him smile lightly. Thoughts raced through his mind as he fiddled with the data stick in his pocket. Kate hadn't recognized it and none of his SRU team mates has asked about it; he thanked whatever deity that was listening for the fact and relief welled inside of him as the coroner wouldn't find it either on Hamir's dead body. So now his problem lay in one question.

Where could he put the drive now?

He couldn't keep it on his persons at all time, and his apartment could be broken into… the idea of sending it to a bank in Switzerland made him chuckle darkly under his breath but Sam shook his head. It needed to be close at hand, but not obvious, not easily accessible…

The snipers hand met his forehead. He had just the place. Idly he wondered if Spike had gone home yet.

Sneaking into the Techies little office had been a cinch, the lock standard and easy to pick. The SRU had allotted Spike his own broom-cupboard sized space to use as an office and the Italian has managed to squeeze in every ounce of mechanical devices and computers available to him. He saw a spare part for Babycakes out of the corner of his eye as he made his way behind Spikes computer desk.

Smirking at the Tetris screensaver, the blonde pulled open each drawer until he found what he was looking for. Computer cables, flash drives, remotes, CD-ROMS, screw drivers… Sam was pretty sure he just saw a game cartridge for a Commodore 64 in there somewhere but honestly didn't want to risk losing his hand to whatever might be living in the mess of a drawer to find out.

With a heavy sigh Sam took the small thumb drive out of his own pocket and paused. Silence reigned for a moment before the ex-army brat let the small piece of plastic fall from his palm and into the abysmal mess.

There.

He had hidden it.

He had just hidden several billion dollars worth of government secrets in the top drawer of Spikes desk.

…

The End


End file.
